During the course of a lesson on the difference between the ruling party and government in class today, one of my students asked what the ANC would do if they lost power in South Africa. Would the ANC run the same course as so many other independence organisations and refuse to accept the defeat, turning the country into a dictatorship?
In the heady days after the release of Mandela many South African's were worried about what the ANC would do when they came into power. People stock piled canned goods and cleaned out the barrels of their guns. The elections came and went, the ANC won and the country continued in peace and prosperity.
The next 'worry' that emerged was what the ANC would do should they get two-thirds majority. Many were convinced that they would change the constitution the first chance they got. In 1999 and 2004 the ANC got the dreaded 'two-thirds' but left the constitution alone.
In the elections last year the ANC suddenly engaged reverse gear and they lost their two-thirds majority and the rule of the Western Cape. The ANC accepted both these loses and there has been no hint of them not accepting these gut-wrenching defeats.
If the history of the ANC in South Africa is anything to go by then I think the citizens of this country should not worry about what the ANC will do. Like any other political party they will fight to regain power but they won't resort to violence and totalitarian tactics to do it.
What do you think?
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