South Africa: rising tensions in the ANC during Youth Month

The briefing details how President Jacob Zuma used cabinet reshuffles and the appointment of National Police Commissioner Mangwashi Phiyega to ensure political loyalty ahead of the ANC national conference in Mangaung. It highlights growing opposition from figures such as Julius Malema, Kgalema Mothlante, and Tokyo Sexwale, as well as increasing public unrest evidenced by frequent service delivery protests.

• President Jacob Zuma's appointment of Mangwashi Phiyega as National Police Commissioner and his cabinet reshuffle are viewed as strategic moves to secure his second term as ANC president, prioritizing personal loyalty over professional experience.
• The demotion of Lindiwe Sisulu to Minister of Public Affairs and Administration is interpreted as a move to neutralize her influence and expose her to conflict with unions during salary negotiations to protect Zuma's re-election chances.
• President Zuma avoided the Youth Day rally on 16 June 2012 to avoid potential protests and denied Deputy President Kgalema Mothlante the opportunity to use the event as a campaign platform.
• Opposition to Zuma's leadership is manifesting through public criticism from Julius Malema, who labeled the President a "dictator and tribalist," and warnings from Tokyo Sexwale that leaders would be changed at the Mangaung conference.
• Internal ANC instability and leadership failures are reflected in a rise in public service protests, with an average of five protests every two days across South Africa between January and May 2012.

APA

Newham, G., & Burger, J. (2012). South Africa: rising tensions in the ANC during Youth Month. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-rising-tensions-in-the-anc-during-youth-month

Chicago

Newham, Gareth, and Johan Burger. South Africa: rising tensions in the ANC during Youth Month. Institute for Security Studies, 2012. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-rising-tensions-in-the-anc-during-youth-month.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Newham |first1=Gareth |last2=Burger |first2=Johan |title=South Africa: rising tensions in the ANC during Youth Month |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=June 2012 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-rising-tensions-in-the-anc-during-youth-month |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newham2012south, author = {Newham, Gareth and Burger, Johan}, title = {{South Africa: rising tensions in the ANC during Youth Month}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/south-africa-rising-tensions-in-the-anc-during-youth-month}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }