ANC is losing the trust of its own people, according to ANC Youth League, Collen Malatji, who torched the party’s leadership in a scathing rebuke, saying the ANC’s name has become tainted to the extent that citizens view it as a symbol of corruption, broken promises, and failed service delivery.

“No matter how true the message is, if the integrity of the messenger is in question, no one will believe the message,” Malatji declared at a recent gathering of party members and community leaders.

His words cut deep into the heart of the ANC’s crisis — not just of governance, but of reputation.

Malatji addressed the President’s Jazz Hour in East London over the weekend.

Malatji said the public’s patience had worn thin, emphasising the crisis of credibility facing the ANC.

He stated that the call for renewal is not just a political, but also a moral one.

“No one believes anything the ANC says anymore. It is only members of the ANC who we believe in each other. But when we leave, no one believes us.”

This comes amid fresh infighting and power struggles within the ANC, particularly as factions battle over leadership renewal and accusations of gatekeeping plague branch structures.

The party’s Veterans League has increasingly called for deep reforms, echoing Malatji’s urgency for self-correction.

He warned that deploying leaders known for unethical behaviour was a death blow to public trust.

“If you are known in your village as a criminal, even if we put you as a councillor and tell people you are fighting against crime, they won’t believe you — they stay with you every day,” he said.

Malatji’s remarks highlight a core weakness within the ANC: its inability to separate leadership from impunity.

As corruption scandals and service delivery protests mount across provinces, particularly in Gauteng, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape, voters were making it clear they are no longer bound by loyalty, he said.

“We no longer have that luxury,” Malatji said. “The people of South Africa have told us: we can take you out of power any day. We love you, but self-correct.”

With local elections looming and trust at a historic low, Malatji’s message was clear that the ANC’s survival depended not on slogans, but on sincerity.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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