The African National Congress (ANC) has recently launched a mandatory political education program to strengthen party cohesion and rebuild trust with a disenchanted electorate.
The initiative, announced at a three-day National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, follows a concerning decline in electoral support, with the ANC receiving just 40.2% of the vote in the May 2024 national elections, down from 62.2% in 2014. Drawing inspiration from Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF and its Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology (HCSI), the ANC aims to deepen members’ political understanding through education rooted in party ideology.
Political education plays a vital role in unifying party members, reinforcing ethical standards, and combating factionalism. By introducing this program, the ANC acknowledges the clear link between structured education and party performance. This shift mirrors ZANU-PF’s commitment through the Chitepo School, which has long served to instill loyalty, discipline, and ethical governance among its ranks. The School’s approach has influenced other liberation movements in Southern Africa, encouraging them to foster shared ideological foundations that support their governance and revolutionary principles.
The ANC’s move toward structured political education reflects an understanding among liberation movements of the need for solid ideological foundations in today’s complex political environment. This trend highlights how political training can build principled, united political fronts. As the ANC seeks to renew its standing, this alignment with the Chitepo School’s principles underscores a collective view among liberation parties on the importance of ideological training for promoting ethical governance and rebuilding public trust.
This initiative not only addresses internal challenges within the ANC but also positions it within a larger movement of Southern African liberation parties focused on integrity and unity.
By emphasizing political education, the ANC aims to emerge as a credible force, potentially reshaping the regional political landscape as parties reconnect with their base and reaffirm commitments to ethical leadership.
