Statement

For the ANC to succeed in leading the Government of National Unity (GNU) and regaining its majority, meritocratic reforms need to be implemented to improve the quality of the government’s political and administrative leadership.

As the ANC, we must learn from other successful developing countries like China and Singapore, which have adopted  political meritocracy as the core basic document of education,economic and social transformation in their countries..

According to Daniel Bell in his book, ”The China Model: Political Meritocracy and the Limits of Democracy”, through political meritocracy, everybody in China is given an opportunity to be educated and contribute to politics, but not everybody will emerge from this process with an equal capacity to make morally informed political judgments. Hence, the task of the Chinese governing party is to identify those with above-average ability and make them serve the political community. If leaders perform well, the people will basically go along.”

If leaders perform well, service delivery will happen, and the people will support the government of the day.

Marking the hundred days of GNU, Cde President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the GNU provides a platform for the continuation and intensification of the fundamental transformation of our economy and our society. The GNU’s Statement of Intent prioritises good governance, social justice, and economic development.

This year, as we commemorated 30 years of democracy, we celebrated our strong foundation of constitutionalism and the rule of law. We already see signs that the economy is stabilising and recovering from the state capture period.

To continue this momentum, the ANC, the governing and largest party in the GNU, must continue to renew itself.  The Veterans League  five-point renewal programme seeks to strengthen our leadership with:

• Mandatory Political Education: We must equip members with the knowledge and skills for effective leadership;
• Stricter Membership Criteria: We must ensure dedicated, committed, ethical and qualified individuals representing the party;
• Enhanced Branch Communication: We must foster collaboration and engagement within the party;
• Uncompromising Ethics: We must combat corruption and misconduct for a more accountable ANC; and
• Unity and Diversity: We must champion a democratic and inclusive society.

To go further, inspired by countries like China and Singapore, the ANC must consciously recognise the value of identifying and nurturing future leaders. Proposals to do this should include:

• Talent Identification: We must seek out talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the country, rural and urban.
• Leadership Development: We must provide intensive recruitment and training programs for promising individuals.
• Scholarship Opportunities: We must offer scholarships to high-performing students to study locally and internationally.
• Community Focus: We must encourage future leaders to return to their communities and serve them rather than only serve themselves.

For example, Bell says that in Singapore, major national examinations are conducted at key stages of student life. The high-performing students are further tested for intellectual ability, integrity, commitment, leadership skills, and emotional intelligence. Those ranked highest are then awarded government scholarships to attend prestigious overseas universities and technical colleges.

Investing in the Future

As the ANC, we should aim to:

• Identify top students from schools,technical colleges and universities
• Fund scholarships in critical fields such as economics and engineering and then
• Deploy these individuals within their communities to drive development initiatives.

For example, to bring this home, the Makhanda Municipality in the Eastern Cape had a problem with bulk water supply as the infrastructure was old. This has now been resolved, but there are problems of burst pipes ,bringing water to households and businesses, and they do not have enough engineers and artisans to replace these and ensure that communities get clean and quality water in their homes.

Closer working relationships and talent scouting must be forged with the East Cape Midlands Tvet College, which provides hands-on practical training applicable to the workforce. This will give the municipality a pond from which they can fish for young, qualified, and skilled people who can help resolve the challenges of old and dysfunctional infrastructure in their municipality.

A Brighter Horizon

Training young people, coupled with the GNU’s focus on economic development, job creation, the rule of law, and good governance, offers a promising future for South Africa.

The ANC’s commitment to meritocratic reforms and community development signifies a renewed focus on serving the people.

Dr Snuki Zikalala

ANC Veterans League President