Can the ANC win back voters by admitting failure without taking responsibility?
Political parties are built to tell voters what they have done right. At its manifesto launch, the African National Congress did something far more unusual. It told voters where it had failed.
The African National Congress (ANC) took an unusual approach during its manifesto launch by openly acknowledging the areas in which it had failed. Nyasha Mcbride Mpani, Business Executive Lead at Shikamo Political Advisory, explained that the ANC placed an image of a rundown rural facility on its screen, accompanying the statement, "The ANC presents its Manifesto in full acknowledgement of areas in which we have fallen short." This move may prove more consequential than many of the promises contained in the manifesto itself.
The ANC's strategy of admitting failure is a gamble. By disclosing damaging information about itself before a rival party can, the ANC aims to appear more credible and trustworthy. This tactic, known as "stealing thunder," is commonly used by lawyers, corporations, and political campaigns when they anticipate an opponent's attack.
However, the ANC is not revealing a secret, as millions of South Africans already know that public services have failed. The challenge lies in how the acknowledgment will affect the political conversation.
Acknowledgment is not accountability. While the ANC acknowledged the existence of failure, it did not take responsibility for it or offer any consequences or remedies. This distinction is crucial, as voters may interpret the acknowledgment as a mere communication strategy rather than genuine accountability. Successful political parties recognize a difference between announcing problems and accepting political responsibility for those issues.
The ANC's strategy could be particularly risky in the current political landscape. The party no longer controls the political conversation as it once did, and its opponents have become more adept at turning moments and fragments of political communication into digital campaign material. The ANC has inadvertently provided opposition campaigners with potent material for their own use.
Nevertheless, the ANC's decision to acknowledge failure may demonstrate a deeper understanding of the electorate's needs. Voters who have withdrawn support, stayed home, or moved to other parties may find the acknowledgment as a starting point for a new political conversation. Instead of asking, "Do you trust us because we have succeeded?" the question could become, "Do you trust us because we finally understand why you stopped trusting us?"
This approach requires the ANC to provide concrete evidence of change and improvements, as voters will expect accountability for the admitted failures.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
