As many reviews have noted, last year was a truly extraordinary one. In these circumstances it is easy to overlook a mere ‘change in the air' - but one that could be of great consequence. For could 2008 also be the year in which the liberation movement lost faith in its ideology?
Up until 2007 the ANC unrelentingly pursued, to borrow a phrase, the "harsh ends of an imperious racial nationalism." The Strategy & Tactics document, formulated under the old party leadership that year and adopted at Polokwane, envisaged an unforgiving continuation of the dual policies of ‘demographic representivity' and ‘cadre deployment'. ‘Affirmative action' measures, it stated, would be used to ensure "all centres of power and influence and other critical spheres of social endeavour become broadly representative of the country's demographics." Meanwhile, a high premium would continue to be placed, on the "involvement of [ANC] cadres in all centres of power."
Sign up with Google