Mantashe says ANC renewal is structural, not dramatic, rules out re-election

By Johnathan Paoli

ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday pushed back against what he said was a narrow, headline-driven view of the party’s renewal drive.

He said that the ANC’s rebuilding efforts should be judged by steady institutional gains and improved service delivery, rather than a single, dramatic turning point.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the ANC’s 5th National General Council (NGC) in Ekurhuleni, Mantashe said public and media expectations often miss the work underway inside the party.

“The problem with modern economics is that your view of renewal is that of an event. Everything that we do, we consolidate and move on. And that’s what the real system is,” he said.

He pointed to the revival of ANC internal structures as evidence that the party’s renewal agenda was progressing.

“We live in a functioning structure. All of a sudden, all the leagues have functioning structures. And you