Politicals analysts say the once agenda-setting event has lost its value. Image: @MyANC
New year agenda-setting January 8 Statement has lost its value – analyst
The January 8 Statement failed to address key issues and provide a clear roadmap for the elections, a missed opportunity.
Politicals analysts say the once agenda-setting event has lost its value. Image: @MyANC
Millions of South Africans expected the African National Congress’s (ANC) January 8 Statement to make bold announcements about the party’s plans to achieve a “decisive ANC election victory” at the national elections later this year.
But all they got was a boring history lesson from President Cyril Ramaphosa about the ANC’s past successes and achievements over the past 30 years since it came into power in 1994.
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MISSED OPPORTUNITY: JANUARY 8 STATEMENT LOST VALUE
Independent Political Analyst, Lesiba Teffo, says the ANC missed an opportunity to communicate directly with it’s supporters ahead of the crucial election this year. He said the new year agenda-setting event had lost its value and even some of the party’s bigwigs no longer take the event seriously.
“When in yesteryears some of us told them that the day would come when you would want to do what is right, and it would be too late and by then people would have voted with their feet, they never took us seriously. They are lecturing us today on the ills that beset their party,” saId Teffo.
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A SHOCKER OF A STATEMNT: UNLIKE NORMAL JANUARY 8 STATEMENTS
Another political analyst, Rebone Tau, said the party’s so-called January 8th Statement was a shock.
“This was indeed a different January 8 Statement – because in the past they would communicate their plans for the year – but this year they’ve decided to take their plans for the year to the manifesto. Citizens were expecting the normal January 8 Statement, not something different – so this came as a shock,” said Tau.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC will launch its Election Manifesto next month setting out in detail our vision and programme for taking our country forward during the next five years, and beyond,.
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JANUARY 8 STATEMENT OMMISSIONS: A DELIBARATE MOVE TO SIDE STEP OPPOSITION PARTIES
Independent political analyst, Dr Ongama Mtimka, said Ramaphosa may have deliberately avoided the party’s sore points as opposition parties zoom in on its failures ahead of the general elections.
“Cumulative gains of the entire period as far as health, education, and economy are concerned are mentioned holistically, so that if you are not careful enough you will miss the fact the fact that he didn’t talk about the status of each of those aspects in the last five years,” said Mtimka.
