By Tiawan Saye Gongloe
South Africa’s history is a powerful narrative of liberation, resistance, and triumph over oppression. The African National Congress (ANC) symbolized hope during apartheid, representing freedom and justice for millions of Africans and people of African descent. Solidarity with the ANC’s fight was strong across Africa.
The Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA), for instance, raised awareness in Liberia about the dehumanizing nature of apartheid, and the Liberian government, from Tubman to Tolbert, actively supported the ANC.
Liberia provided refuge for key ANC figures and other South African exiles. Nelson Mandela visited Liberia in 1962 and received support, while the revolutionary singer Miriam Makeba and jazz musician Hugh Masekela and many others lived in Liberia during the 1970s. President William Tolbert even established a fund to support the South African liberation struggle, while other African countries, like Nigeria, provided millions of dollars to the ANC.
Southern African states offered training bases for ANC fighters, even at the risk of bombings by the apartheid regime’s military. The support across Africa was driven by the belief that a liberated South Africa would offer equal opportunities and access to wealth for all its people, irrespective of race, gender, or religion. This was underscored by the ANC’s 1994 election victory, which promised to build a non-racist, non-sexist, democratic South Africa.
The world watched with high hopes as the ANC won the election by a landslide, with 67% of the vote.
The land issue was a key motivator for many South Africans who supported the ANC. In 1994, a young ANC member named Heide told me she believed Mandela would return her family’s land, which had been taken by a white landowner, a loss that had devastated her father. Yet, forty years later, the land issue remains unresolved, despite the ANC’s decades of political control.
Unfortunately, the ANC today is veering dangerously away from its roots. The gap between rich and poor black South Africans is widening. While the party once embodied the values of equality and justice, its recent leadership has tarnished this legacy through corruption and self-enrichment. Leaders like Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Steve Biko envisioned a South Africa where every citizen would enjoy equality and dignity. But the current ANC leadership has betrayed this vision.
Jacob Zuma’s presidency marked a turning point in the ANC’s downfall. His administration became infamous for “state capture,” a term used to describe the siphoning of public resources to benefit a select few, notably through the corrupt dealings of the Gupta family. Zuma, once revered as a liberation hero, tarnished the party’s image and alienated many of its most loyal supporters, particularly among black South Africans, who had hoped for economic equality and justice. Zuma’s fall from grace was a profound disappointment given his earlier status as a veteran and icon of the liberation struggle.
Even after Zuma, corruption within the ANC persists under his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa, initially seen as a reformer, has been implicated in scandals such as the “Phala Phala” incident. Although he attempts to project himself as a figure of integrity, the continued corruption within his administration raises doubts about his commitment to genuine reform. The ANC’s inability to fully root out corruption under Ramaphosa has left South Africans disillusioned with the party’s leadership.
In 1994, Ramaphosa was a progressive young lawyer and the secretary-general of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU). He was instrumental in negotiating the transition from apartheid to democracy. However, under his leadership, events such as the tragic shooting of striking mine workers by security forces have occurred, eerily reminiscent of apartheid-era repression.
The ANC’s corruption has not only eroded its credibility but has also led to widespread human rights violations in South Africa. The poverty brought about by this corruption has bred frustration and anger among many South Africans. Lacking a full understanding of the root causes of their poverty, some South Africans have blamed African immigrants, fueling xenophobic violence. This tragic turn of events, where poor South Africans attack fellow Africans, reflects the deep divisions that have emerged under ANC rule.
The ANC’s tolerance of corruption not only weakens its moral standing but also creates a dangerous political vacuum. As the party loses support, it risks being replaced by forces that may not embrace the values of equality and justice. There is a real possibility that political power could return to conservative groups, including those who yearn for the apartheid era, undoing much of the progress made since 1994.
Corruption is not a victimless crime. Every rand stolen from the public purse deprives South Africans of essential services, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. The ANC’s corruption exacerbates inequality and entrenches poverty, perpetuating the same suffering that apartheid imposed on the majority of South Africans. The party’s failure to deliver on its promises betrays the very people who suffered the most under apartheid—people who looked to the ANC for salvation from poverty and injustice.
If the ANC does not act decisively to restore integrity within its ranks, it risks losing power entirely. The warning signs are clear: in recent years, the ANC’s electoral majority has significantly shrunk as South Africans express their dissatisfaction at the ballot box. The people of South Africa are growing impatient, and the ANC’s once unshakeable dominance is rapidly eroding.
The ANC still has a choice. It can either confront corruption head-on and return to its founding principles of justice and service to the people, or it can continue down the path of self-enrichment and corruption. If the party does not change course, it may not only lose power but also risk handing control back to those who prioritize private wealth over the public good. Such a shift could reverse much of the progress South Africa has made since the end of apartheid.
For the ANC to survive, it must embrace transparency, accountability, and a renewed commitment to serving the people of South Africa. Without such reforms, the party’s days as a dominant political force are numbered. The future of South Africa is critically important for the rest of Africa. As a leading African nation, South Africa’s progress is vital for the continent’s development. If the ANC does not act, it will be the party’s leaders themselves who deliver power back to a South Africa that is regressive and unjust.
The stakes for South Africa and Africa are incredibly high. The ANC’s decline serves as a warning for progressive movements across the continent. If the party does not correct its course, it risks becoming a cautionary tale for those who seek to bring about positive change in Africa. The African people with find it difficult to believe other change movements and their leaders, if ANC continues to fail the people of South Africa.
*Tiawan Saye Gongloe is a lawyer with over 36 years of experience and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Law at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia. He was a United Nations observer during South Africa’s 1994 elections and has presented numerous papers on law and human rights in Africa. Gongloe is a pan-Africanist committed to advancing the interests of African people through truth and accountability.