Concern over continued decline of support in minority groups

Governing party faces a growing crisis since the end of apartheid

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The ANC’s support among white, Indian and coloured communities has been shrinking for years.

The party has revealed this problem in its discussion document to be tabled at its long-awaited national general council (NGC) to be held in December this year.

“As ANC support shrank in some communities, our structures among Indian, coloured, and white South Africans also waned,” reads the document, which is expected to set a tone for the discussion at the NGC.

This decline is not just about numbers; it reflects a broader disconnect between the ANC and these communities, stated the document.

For white South Africans, the shift has been particularly pronounced. The ANC notes that “the white community, by and large, has thrown its lot behind parties such as the DA and Freedom Front Plus”.

These parties have capitalised on white voters’ dissatisfaction with the ANC’s transformation policies, such as affirmative action and black economic empowerment. The ANC accuses these parties of framing their opposition to such policies as “non-racialism” or “meritocracy”, but argues that this rhetoric “in effect protects existing privilege”.