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Former KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli called on the ANC to focus on its internal capacity and the quality of those it deployed in government if it were to give real meaning to its renewal programme.
Following his unsuccessful campaign for the position of party secretary-general against newly elected Fikile Mbalula and former Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle, he said he was happy with the new leadership as he believed in its ability to steer the ANC to calmer waters and help rebuild it.
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Ntuli said Mbalula was a good and exciting fit to head up the party’s engine at Luthuli House as he had worked with him for years as a senior ANC staffer and found him to be excellent in organising.
He said:
Ntuli, who was a front-runner in terms of branch nominations going to the elective conference, added despite later calls for him to abandon his campaign, he was excited about his bid for the top job as it had gained traction without attachment to slates but being anchored on the ANC's renewal and reconfiguration.
"I am very proud today that we have what we call the top seven. I have been one of the strongest advocates for the reconfiguration of the head office of the ANC, which allows us to have two deputy secretaries-general, one for organising and campaigns and the other one for governance, research, policy and cadre development," he said.
He explained the ANC's troubles were made worse by its weak cadre development, which meant that incompetent members were given responsibility and that reflected badly on the party when it failed to deliver in its deployments in government.
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Ntuli has been criticised within the party by those close to Ramaphosa as they accused him of having almost cost Mbalula the secretary-general position after he refused to drop his campaign and withdraw his name from the ballot.
He, however, insisted that his refusal to withdraw his name was based on his strong opposition to slate politics, which he said undermined the ANC's ability to choose from a pool of the best cadres in terms of leadership selection.
"Had we not started with slate politics in 2007 in Polokwane, the ANC and South Africa would be far more different from what it is today. All the problems that we are facing today are a product of slate politics," he said.
He mentioned many ANC leaders have over the years been voted into leadership, not because of their qualities, strengths and capabilities, but because of their alignment with party leaders.
"You do that at the national level and you replicate it in regions and at the branch level. It then catches up with you so badly when you must decide on deployment. When you decide on deployment at the national level, and when the president must appoint a Cabinet, the first point of contact is the national executive committee."
He said this led to the appointment of people who were not capable and fit for purpose to lead spheres of government.
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Ntuli stated slates had seen very capable individuals within the ANC being marginalised over the years because they did not actively align themselves with incumbent leaders.
He averred the new ANC leadership had to be "very impatient with anybody and anyone" who still wanted to sustain slate politics in the party.
Ntuli had been touted as the next ANC national spokesperson after he was approached by Mbalula and the new leadership to discuss his future.
Since his stint as KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesperson and eventual secretary, Ntuli had been credited for his excellent and eloquent articulation of ANC policies and its programmes of renewal, which saw him gaining national appeal within the party.
