Johannesburg – The African National Congress (ANC) is at a critical juncture, grappling with internal calls for greater transparency and facing external pressure from the United States over its foreign policy stances. This weekend, the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) will deliberate on a proposal for mandatory lifestyle audits for all cadres, while simultaneously navigating the complexities of strained relations with the US and the potential for targeted sanctions against individual officials.
The proposed lifestyle audits, championed by the ANC's integrity commission, aim to address concerns about corruption and restore public trust in the party. The commission's report, slated for presentation at the NEC meeting, advocates for audits that extend beyond government deployees to include the party's top brass.
The ethics body stressed that the lifestyle audits must “be carried out with immediate effect” and encouraged ANC officials to “lead from the front and subject themselves to the first round of lifestyle audits”. This urgency reflects a growing recognition within the ANC that decisive action is needed to address perceptions of impropriety and restore the party's image.
The proposed rollout would begin with the "top seven" ANC leaders, followed by the national working committee, and then all members of the NEC. This cascading approach is intended to demonstrate leadership commitment to organisational renewal and the fight against corruption. The process of lifestyle audits must then be cascaded to provincial and other structures.
“This will help to address the evident disjuncture between the lifestyle choices of many ANC leaders and the values and conduct that should be expected from leaders in an organisation that is committed to redressing the poverty, inequality and distress of the majority of people in our country,” the commission stated in the report. This stark assessment underscores the need for ANC leaders to align their personal conduct with the party's stated commitment to social justice.
To ensure impartiality and credibility, the commission has recommended that the lifestyle audits be conducted by an external and reputable agency, with the findings submitted directly to the commission. This move is designed to prevent any undue influence or interference in the audit process.
“The [commission] is aware that many ANC leaders think that their lifestyle is their own private business. This level of political understanding on the part of a section of our leadership is one of the elements that needs to be addressed in the renewal programme.” This candid observation highlights the challenge of changing deeply ingrained attitudes within the ANC regarding transparency and accountability.
Lifestyle audits are an important management tool to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the public service. They also help to ensure that the lifestyles of government employees are in line with their level of income. By scrutinising the assets, income, and spending habits of individuals, lifestyle audits can uncover discrepancies and red flags that may indicate illicit activities.
In April 2021, the government approved compulsory guidelines for all audits by public servants in both national and provincial departments, as well as state-owned enterprises. This move signalled a growing recognition of the importance of lifestyle audits as a tool for promoting ethical governance.
In addition to the lifestyle audit proposal, the NEC meeting is also expected to address the upgrading of the ANC membership system, which would even help to smoke out splinter MK Party sleepers, according to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-motsiri. This initiative reflects the ANC's efforts to strengthen its internal structures and combat infiltration by rival political groups.
The NEC meeting would receive reports on the geopolitical situation, a political overview report, an organisational report on the proposed national dialogue, the reconfiguration of the alliance, water and energy security, transformative legislation and the transformation fund, and a report from the integrity commission. This comprehensive agenda underscores the wide range of challenges and priorities facing the ANC.
However, the ANC's internal deliberations are taking place against a backdrop of heightened tensions with the United States. Two weeks ago, Joshua Meservey, a senior fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute, ignited a heated debate with a controversial proposal for the US to address what he describes as South Africa's increasingly "anti"-US stance.
Meservey's strategy, outlined in a report published by the Hudson Institute, advocates for the US to target specific ANC officials deemed responsible for policies that are perceived as detrimental to US interests. The proposal focuses on striking at their personal wealth and restricting their ability to travel abroad.
The report paints a damning picture of the ANC, describing it as "one of Africa's most corrupt organisations" responsible for human rights violations. Meservey argues that a more targeted approach is necessary to influence South Africa's behaviour, rather than relying on broad-based measures that could harm the country's economy and its people.
To achieve this, the report suggests utilising tools such as visa bans and sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, which targets corruption and human rights abuses. Meservey believes that this would not only change the behaviour of the targeted officials but also serve as a deterrent to others who might be tempted to adopt similar "anti-US" policies.
However, Meservey's suggestions have sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing that targeting individual officials could be seen as an infringement on South Africa's sovereignty. Concerns have also been raised that such measures could exacerbate tensions between the two nations, potentially harming bilateral relations and US interests in the region.
A senior member of the EFF, speaking on condition of anonymity, strongly criticised the report, accusing it of bordering on racism and "imposing on SA’s freedom”. The EFF member of the Central Command Task Team stated: "As South Africans, we need to be able to choose what position we take when it comes to international relations…while I agree that the ANC is and has been corrupt in the last 30 years, that does not warrant certain individuals to be targeted…especially by a country like the US (which has) transgressed on people’s rights across the world. They are not ones to speak.”
Political analyst Sandile Swana argued that the report was aimed at "taming" the ANC and turning it into a satellite of the US. "At the core of this is that SA is an enemy of the US in terms of this analysis," Swana said. He identified two specific issues that the US has with South Africa: the genocide case opened at the International Criminal Court of Justice against Israel, and the potential warrant of arrest against Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu.
Swana further claimed: "The common interest between the Trump administration and the Hudson Institute is that at the end of the day, the whole agenda is to attain white supremacy in the world… And this white supremacy, for now, excludes China and Russia. It is about the Anglo-Saxon, Western European culture being imposed on all nations and SA being converted into a military base."
He alleged that the US seeks to establish a military base in Simon’s Town to control sea passageways and that the report is about "keeping tame those who support a fight against genocide (and) apartheid, (who) are going to be removed through personal sanctions so that the ANC becomes a US satellite."
