Failure to fill stadiums adds to ANC's woes ahead of crucial municipal elections

THE ANC’s failure to mobilise enough supporters to fill the 20 000-capacity Moruleng Stadium for its 114th celebrations in the North West is further evidence of a party in decline, say political analysts. 

Contrasting with ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa's declaration of the party as the leader of society, were the visible empty seats seen at the 20,000 capacity stadium.

On Saturday, media reports suggested that the Department of State Security Agency (SSA) allegedly restricted access to vehicles carrying food parcels and supporters' buses, leading to logistical difficulties.

Despite this, ANC Secretary General, Fikile Mbalula, described the turnout as good enough.

"Thank you to the people of Moruleng for coming out in their numbers to hear President Cyril Ramaphosa declare this year as the year of decisive action. Comrades, in and outside this stadium, it has been reported that 20,000 people turned up for this rally," he said.

Political analyst Thobani Zikalala said last year's January 8 celebrations in Khayelitsha also suffered a similar fate with the party's choice of the Nelson Mandela Park Stadium.

"Of course, in the main, the stadium (Moruleng Stadium) was visibly empty, or rather not full, on Saturday, as we have grown to know the ANC and its capacity to fill up stadiums, whether small or big. Over the years, the ANC has become known as a political force with a footprint in all of society which draws crowds to its events," he said.

Zikalala also noted that the lack of full capacity could also be attributed to weak mobilisation efforts from the former ruling party.

"This time around, they went to a 20,000 capacity stadium, and they failed to fill it up. Stadiums are not an indication of the party's electoral performance, but an indication, whether or not, that the ideas of the party still captures the imagination of society.

"The lack of a full stadium suggests that mobilisation in the province was either poorly executed or failed to resonate with the people, signaling a decline in the ANC’s influence as a central political idea in South Africa," he added.

Andile Swana, another political commentator, said: "This event at the 20,000 capacity stadium is supposed to demonstrate the competence, superior organisational skills, and punctuality of the ANC as a leader of society. This is supposed to inspire confidence and build credible hope in the nation itself, and also in the overwhelming black majority."

In his keynote address, Ramaphosa said the party will undertake a nation-wide campaign to rebuild every branch of the ANC into an activist branch.

“Winning the local government elections decisively will enable the ANC to lead communities in the forward march towards a truly non-racial, nonsexist, democratic, united and prosperous society.”

Cape Times