Surname: Mhlongo

Name: Andiswa

Student number: 223068538

Module name: POLITICAL SCIENCES

Module code: POLS101

Date: 26/04/2023
THE ANC and EFF ideologies in advancing the country’s’ democracy and accountability.

Ideologies are a coherent set of ideas that provide a basis for organized political action. Looking at
the ANC (African National Congress) and EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) in relation to advancing
democracy and accountability in South Africa, one may argue that these two-share similar set of
ideologies but have completely different methods of practising them. This is because in SA, ANC has
much superior power to influence citizens than EFF as it is the current leading political party, hence
these two political parties are also held accountable as to what extent they are to provide towards
the betterment of the governance of South Arica.

To begin with, the ANC main ideologies are creating a united and diverse prosperous society which is
basically African nationalism and social democracy. It is said that ‘having accepted the fact of the
multiracial nature of South Africa, ANC envisaged an All-Inclusive African Nationalism which would
rest on the principle of ‘freedom for all’ and ‘unity for all’’, (Chitja,2014). It brought about democracy
and enabled the white minority rule to black majority government but with a very thin foundation of
peaceful democratic society in South Africa. I’d beg to differ simply because socially, as much we are
diverse which promotes democracy as its helps breaks the huge wall of apartheid between races, it is
unfortunate that inequality is an existing fact among South Africans and even the ANC with its
leading power is failing to protect the vulnerable that are highly affected and not to forget ANC as a
leader should be working to its core to provide the citizen but it seem to even fail at that. South
Africa is a developing country economically or, so it has been said. However, it had its cause of the
goodness in South Africa for example, it is because of ANC that the whole of South Africa has moved
from the apartheid era. This party has made its best effort to ensure that all South Africans have
adequate human settlements and quality living conditions by providing the RDP housing services to
the poorest households. As much as not everyone has been serviced but it is remarkable to mention
that this is still an on-going process which ensures liberty for all, in the end promotes democracy.
Besides the corruption it has been portrayed with ANC still holds its accountability in advancing the
living conditions of the Africans.

The EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) on the under hand usually draws its ideas from across the
political spectrum hence have unclear ideologies on which they operate under. This party argues that
political power alone could not be enough, but it needs economic freedom, and by that in its unclear
ideology, it revolves around solving the economic issues of South Africans as well as economic rights.
With this idea in motion, it is agreeable to say that they are also partial feature of advancing
democracy although it uses militaristic and hierarchical methods, (Newsletter 2017). For example,
their remark in relation to the issue of land and nationalisation on which they have highlighted the
injustice of white supremacy and monopoly and to mention on the land expropriation. Yendi (2021)
in his findings concludes that indeed EFF has played a crucial role in South African governance
because they aim to bring about an accountable, corrupt free government and governance. This
party aims to address the alarming issue of inequality, private ownership of nation resources and
many more social issues that are related to economic rights which are violated. However as much as
this party aims for a democratic society it has received a tantrum of critic from other political people
because of how chaotic it invades a social issue; it is not of a surprise to have its leader admitting
that indeed they operate under the Marxist and Fanonian schools of thought. It is seen as bourgeois
with a perceived militant political project. So basically, the EFF ideologies work much in favour of
advancing the South African democracy economically but are not as much accountable to a political
method of governance which is the only obstacle that may just seem to hold it back as most of
political philosophers may find it hard to support a party that displays itself as a chaotic one, it’s a
good thing that electoral processes are what determines how much of political power a certain party
may uphold.
In all that has been said, the ANC and the EFF are seemingly most influential to the development of
South Africa. Their involvement has shown great results if one looks at it both economically and
socially. With EFF youth striving for economic equality and the ANC for the social democracy at hand,
one can be rest assured that in a few years to come, South Africa will surely be what they had
presumed in their ideologies and if they were to join forces a much greater outcome may occur…EFF
is the baby of ANC after all.
Reference List:

Ketelo B. et al. 1990. Searchlight South Africa Vol.2 No.1. A miscarriage of democracy. The ANC
security department in the 1984 muting in Umkhonto Wesizwe.

Mosala S. J .et al 2017. Crossmark, South African Economic Transformation since 1994. What
influence has National Democratic Revolution had?

Newsletter No.6 2017. Solidarity Economic News. The EEF’s Wrecking Ball is Fascist rather than left.

Nsizwazonke Y.E 2021. African Journal of Development Studies. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)
as “super-sub” in South African Parliament: Fostering Accountability in Organised Disruptive Chaos.

Reddy P.S 2016. The Journal of transdisciplinary research in Southern Africa. The politics of service
delivery in South Africa: The local government sphere in context.

Schrire R 2000. Kariega Game reserve, Eastern Cape. Opposition in South Africa’s new democracy:
The ANC and opposition(p29).

Southall (2014) ANNALS, AAPS,652. Democracy at risk? Politics and Governance under the ANC.

Twala C.2014. Maditerranean Journal of Social Sciences. The African National Congress (ANC) and its
Ideological Shifts Over Time: Attempts to define or re-define its Ideological Identity.