ANC: Singing in unison?

The ANC brings together forces that are diametrically opposed, says president Cyril Ramaphosa, and the challenge is to get them all singing from the same hymn book. The challenge was nowhere more apparent than at this weekend’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting, which agreed that the NEC needs to convene another gathering specifically to focus on forging unity. Ramaphosa has, deservedly, won largely glowing report cards for his first 100 days in office, but as the NEC meeting showed, he has yet to consolidate his control of the ruling party. The meeting was unable to reach consensus on a range of issues, from a replacement for Supra Mahumapelo as premier of North West to land restitution and the future of the SA Reserve Bank. Ramaphosa, speaking to editors, conceded that bringing together the leaders elected at Nasrec in December last year, who represent rival factions, was "never going to be easy" but it is important to "find one another and forge unity". Of the ANC top si...