ANC’s ill-advised blunder of panic attack press statement on the Generals document?

By: Clyde Ramalaine

According to journalist F. Mohsin, the main purpose of any press release is to provide brief (as per requirement) information about a specific topic so that it can get huge coverage among the audiences via the different media outlets. Big companies, brands, products, and services mostly do press releases, to improve their online visibility. Press releases can help your product in getting digitally marketed. I am not sure what the intention for tonight’s hastily  convened press conference was and if it met the definition as advanced by Mohsin.

Tonight, the ANC hastily convened a press conference with its Chairperson Gwede Mantashe as the one delivering this brief statement. This took place in the aftermath of a set of meetings convened at the request of a group of ANC members under the leadership of General Motau that have previously been serving in the military. The meeting between General Mojo Motau and his fellow generals and 16 members of the NWC went by all indications well. While the NEC members indicated that they do not find the establishment of a National Task Team (NTT) acceptable, because the ANC NEC has a democratic mandate, they were prepared to engage with other cardinal elements in the 31-page document expanding on the crisis that the ANC is faced with.

The NWC acknowledged that there is indeed a serious crisis. In the spirit of further engagement to address these critical issues, it was agreed that the NWC will meet next Thursday (12th of November) again with the generals to engage further.

At Monday’s meeting, the NWC already knew that General Motau had released the 31-page Summit Document over the weekend. They (the NWC) were already informed on Friday (30th October) by General Motau that he was going to make the document public over the weekend. So, there was no ‘leaking’, it was all properly announced in advance, and there was nothing untoward and underhand.

It is believed that General Motau and his fellow Generals indicated to the NWC that the National Office Bearers (NOB’s) are badly compromised. Is it this knowledge of what General Motau and his fellow generals know about them, that triggered what appears to be a panic-stricken press conference by the National Office Bearers? What are the terrible skeletons rattling in the cupboards that spook them so much?

This hastily prepared ANC press conference called at  7h15pm for 7h30pm addressed by the ANC Chairperson left more questions than answers. I watched this press statement and a slew of questions flood my mind:

1. Why is the ANC responding tonight when the meeting with the generals went well and a rapport was established with even dates for a next meeting?

2. Was the ANC SG not to host the press conference? If so was this a pressing matter if so why?

3. Is it true that the DSG was behind this press statement, what does this mean for the role of the SG?

4. Why the advanced lie on the part of the Chairperson that this document was leaked by the group constituting the generals when General Motau told them he will make the content public?

5. Why is the ANC? Chairperson the one to address this matter? Is this not a task for the SG role?

6. Again why the haste and why the panic?

7. Who is panicking and for what, when these are comrades engaging the entity, they all claim to love?

8. Is this not a blatant ongoing usurping of the functionary role of the SG function? We heard today was his birthday why could this matter not have waited for him to come tomorrow?

9. What was so urgent, we know it was not that important since the response to the document in public spaces was rather indifferent and did not gain much traction. As one who read the document,  my critique is its length. At  +30 pages it’s way too long for the average the reader. I would have condensed that in an executive summary of 5 pages highlighting the pertinent intertwining and salient points. 

10. Who forced for this press statement? Is there a specific person who had a do-or-die attitude to see this done tonight regardless of the confusion and erratic context of this presser?

11. On another score,  what do the generals know in skeletons about the ANC leaders, whom they unequivocally told in the held meeting:  You are all compromised.

12. Was it called to address one issue of a proposed Task Team to replace the incumbents in the ANC? Why separate this issue as predominant for tonight’s briefing when the material content of the document is still a matter of discussion for the value of its analysis.

13. Why could no communications specialist tell the ANC this is wholly unnecessary a presser. What is the role of Pule Mabe in this instance beyond repeating questions is he not supposed to be advising on the efficacy of communications? 

While I am a long-standing critique of the ANC as a grand-scale failure in the discipline and expertise of communications both in content and infrastructure I didn’t expect it would become this shallow and vulnerable.  Am I the only one to be leaving this press conference more confused and intrigued in what the ANC has become in knee-jerk vulnerability to be this suspect to convene a press conference and say nothing?