As we have seen these past two weeks, this is precisely where the ANC found itself: cap in hand before the South African people as it battled to remain in power.

For many in the ANC, in the past 30 years, while the party had a clear majority in government, their political power also made economic power accessible to them and their families and friends. Stories abound about doctored tender processes, bastardised black economic empowerment deals and underhanded, lucrative mining deals.

This makes one suspicious about the ANC’s new disposition and why we should entertain it. Its elite have seemingly forgotten what their oaths of public service required of them over these past few years.

The purpose of this reflection, however, is to tease out what has been a niggling concern of mine as the various post-election scenarios have played out, and that is the constant uttering of “being humbled”, specifically by the secretary-general of the ANC. It seems a simple enough statement and, some might say, a fitting description of what has happened to the party.

But I’m not convinced that Fikile Mbalula, who was seen campaigning in impoverished rural communities in a flashy R3-million Mercedes-Benz G-Class, is exactly humbled.

For me, there are unsettling echoes of treating the electorate or “the people” as adversaries of sorts. I suppose there’s a case for this to be made, because the people can be seen as standing between rapacious government officials and their self-enrichment.

I say this because, although the ANC’s rule may have started out earnestly, if not nobly, over the past 15 years or so, it turned into a race and a fight for personal wealth. This was characterised by the corruption and hollowing-out of state institutions, evidence of which is contained in Chief Justice Raymond Zondo’s State Capture report.

It is also not insignificant that, in the week of election results, Zizi Kodwa, a government minister implicated in the report, was arrested and has since vacated his post. His resignation is not, of course, the end of the story because the criminal charges against him remain.

South Africans have given political parties a masterclass in where the real power lies: in the hands of the people. Their muscles needed to be flexed in order to remind these parties whose proxy they are and why.

The parties are now also being forced to find ways of working together so that South Africa’s and not their own interests can be advanced. One hopes that this signifies a shift towards a more sustainable and indeed humble way of working for the people, as well as with them.

Working in public service does not make one a member of a dynasty, and it needs to be understood that the power it presents is not to be abused. All parties should take this as a warning while they vie for power and kingmaker status: should they fly too close to the sun, the people will invariably exercise their might. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

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