South Africa: Weak internal processes for choosing leadership threaten the ANC in the long-term

The briefing argues that the ANC's lack of rules for open leadership campaigning and the use of 'slates' by President Jacob Zuma's supporters have created deep internal divisions. These processes, characterized by allegations of rigging and intimidation, risk alienating members and voters, potentially reducing the ANC's parliamentary majority in the 2014 elections and encouraging the formation of a breakaway left-wing party.

• The ANC's internal electoral processes are flawed due to a lack of rules guiding open campaigning for leadership, which forced campaigning 'underground' and disadvantaged Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe compared to incumbent President Jacob Zuma.
• The use of 'slates' (factional nomination lists) and allegations of rigging, violence, and intimidation by Zuma supporters have led to contested results and a lack of endorsements in the Western Cape, Limpopo, and North West provinces.
• Internal instability and the negative national perception of President Zuma's leadership may reduce the ANC's parliamentary majority to below 60% in the 2014 elections, as voters may abstain from polling.
• The current political climate within the ANC could lead to the emergence of a new breakaway left-wing labour-orientated political party from within the alliance.
• President Zuma is unlikely to voluntarily step down as the 2014 presidential candidate due to the risk of reinstated criminal charges, investigations into the use of state resources at his Nkandla homestead, and his reliance on patronage networks.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2012). South Africa: Weak internal processes for choosing leadership threaten the ANC in the long-term. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-weak-internal-processes-for-choosing-leadership-threaten-the-anc-in-the-long-term

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. South Africa: Weak internal processes for choosing leadership threaten the ANC in the long-term. 2012. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-weak-internal-processes-for-choosing-leadership-threaten-the-anc-in-the-long-term.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=South Africa: Weak internal processes for choosing leadership threaten the ANC in the long-term |date=December 2012 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-weak-internal-processes-for-choosing-leadership-threaten-the-anc-in-the-long-term |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2012south, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{South Africa: Weak internal processes for choosing leadership threaten the ANC in the long-term}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2012}, month = dec, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-weak-internal-processes-for-choosing-leadership-threaten-the-anc-in-the-long-term}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }