DANIEL SILKE: The bipolar politics of the ANC in upheaval
'Politically there are two parallel ANCs – one that’s robust and pragmatic, the other that’s deceptive and destructive'
Never has a country been so self-aware of its shortcoming, yet so apparently impotent to act on correcting them. The South African state today is characterised by increasing turmoil in ethical and efficient governance, deteriorating democratic accountability and threats to our independent institutional capacity. Yet at the same time, the country is more open to debate, deeply introspective discussions and self-critique than ever before. True to form, South Africa remains a contradiction. It has always been a land of juxtaposed images – from legislated separation to defiant integration; extreme poverty to conspicuous wealth and from the best democratic ideals to the worst authoritarian tendencies. These have all worked side-by-side for the better part of our recent history. Recent events relating to seemingly endemic corruption, failed governance oversight and the Gupta Leaks have once again exposed our penchant for a parallel life of good and bad. However, political actors are c...
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