Is South Africa’s African National Congress in for an (another?) epochal political upheaval? Those observers who look at South Africa and only see a country with one-party political dominance miss the fact that within the ANC there is a vibrant, no-holds-barred, rough-and-tumble political culture in which disagreement appears to be the default setting. The South Africa of the ANC may be a de facto one-party country, but it is hardly a country where politicians travel in lockstep.
For evidence of this trend, look no further than the fact that there is serious talk of supplanting both President Jacob Zuma and controversial ANC Youth League President Julius Malema. Talk of supplanting naturally leads to talk of succession. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, to be sure, but it is no less easy to remove that crown. Malema has probably worn out his welcome but has also proven himself to be an adroit manipulator of politics in addition to being a first-rate provocateur. Zuma’s public opinion trajectory has been fascinating, as he went from a virtual outcast to the presidency, saw his ratings rise as he steered a middle course and avoided extremism, and then got himself back in hot water with his personal shortcomings. And don’t think the opposition parties, and especially the Congress of the People, will not be watching closely while looking to capitalize on fissures within the ruling party.
Strap yourselves in — I think we might be in for a rollicking couple of years in South African politics.
