The return of former President Thabo Mbeki on the campaign trail dropped jaws on Thursday after a decade of not being an active member.
Many question his comeback while others appreciated it more because he is seen as a leader who would uplift the spirit of people.
Despite his criticism of the current leadership and delays in joining the trail, Mbeki said he was committed and obliged to campaign for the ANC.
“As a senior member of the ANC, I am obliged to support the party and ensure that it remains in power post-elections,” he said during the campaign in Soweto on Thursday.
The ANC is currently under pressure and trying to regain the trust of supporters by throwing in the heavyweights to the campaign to activate the support base of the party ahead of the elections.
The 2024 national and provincial elections will be held on May 29, a month from now.
The likes of former President Kgalema Motlanthe will also be campaigning for the ANC.
The ANC has suffered a loss of support in recent years because it failed to deliver on promises made to the people.
Some of the promises include housing, healthcare services, water and electricity supply as well as a better life for all.
Speaking to IOL, Ongama Mtimka, a lecturer and political analyst at the Department of History and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University, said Mbeki’s comeback is a massive boost for the party.
According to Mtimka, the first major loss in the ANC came from an election following the recall of Mbeki and the breakaway of a faction of the ANC to form COPE.
“If there is an impression created that within the party and Mbeki, there has been finding one another, that can work well for the ANC,” he said.
Mtimka said the reason why Mbeki buried his concerns and joined the trail was because there was communication between the party and veterans who voiced their opinions on the leadership.
Asked about the ANC’s strategy of introducing veterans as a way of retaining power, the analyst explained that emerging victorious was another means because the new parties have tapped into their support base.
“The ANC is facing two splinter parties who have come into the electoral space in the last 10 years and both of them are not formed by politically lightweight people.
“So their campaigning may not result in a victory above 50% but it helps to negate the loss of support that the ANC is going to get,” he said.
Recently, a recent survey conducted in South Africa's three major metros has indicated that the EFF and Jacob Zuma's MK Party will be big players in the elections.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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