Is the Party Over?

‘By the early evening, the irresolute and weakened Ramaphosa slate left no one unscathed – not Mabuyane, not Lamola, not the Mkhize camp. The Ramaphosa caucus was tarnished by infighting. The Mkhize camp was initially none the wiser as to whether Mashatile, who saw an opportunity to mop up votes in the Ramaphosa camp, would contest the position on its list. The situation left a power vacuum in its wake. The bigger picture remained unresolved. There was no obvious successor to David Mabuza. ’For the first time in South African literature comes not just an insider book, but from someone who had ringside seats as political power changed hands at the all-important ANC NASREC 2022 where Cyril Ramaphosa was either going to consolidate his power or be ejected. Van Heerden’s book is not mere reportage, he does not simply give us the numbers, the money, the delegates, the switching, the promises and the backstabbing, but importantly, Oscar himself is part of the story, and he has to personally contend with the modern ANC. Ramaphosa’s fortunes have been in decline since he first came to power, having to deal with the RET group, COVID, the July 2021 civil unrest, and the brutal energy crisis. Over each crisis he has had to stand by his party’s glorious history and against its rapid decline into inner-party feuds, corruption and bureaucratic ineptitude. What legacy then has Ramaphosa left? How has he contended with a country coming apart at the seams? Will 2024 be the end of his presidency, and will the party be over for the ANC? Fast-paced and unputdownable, Is the Party Over? is a must read anytime, but in 2024, if you want to know what the politicians are up to in the backrooms, you must read this book!

Oscar van Heerden is a scholar of International Relations (IR), where he focuses on International Political Economy, with an emphasis on Africa, and SADC in particular. He has a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He entered active politics in 1985 as a student activist and is an avid writer and analyst of contemporary politics in South Africa. Over the last two decades he has been in Strategic Support at the ANC Headquarters, the South African Qualifications Authority, and is an independent Management consultant working mostly in the security cluster.

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