Why have we resolved on the decade of the cadre and yet 7 years into the decade nothing has been said or done about the cadre? This question speaks to the core of our problems as a liberation movement. But then, what is our problem? We as a liberation movement have accumulated a big number of cadres from our previous phases of struggle that are amongst us that are still active in the body politic of the movement but feel isolated and underutilized from the core.

You could start with the amadelakufa generation or even earlier to the 1976 generation to the negotiating cadres and most recent cadres who were responsible for the democratization of the state. These conditions make it difficult for us to take the leap forward because these cadres are still reminiscing about their foregone years and heroic stunts and perhaps, feel a movement forward may water down their contributions to the liberation of the South African people.

The average age of this cadre corps that is weighing us down is between 55-60 years of age but at the same time, carrying the movement because of its sheer number within the movement. These cadres have traversed various phases of the movement, they are experienced but with that experience, they are also demoralised politically, they no longer carry with them any revolutionary ambitions, their fight and punch are not as mightier as it was when they were younger.

There’s very little conviction towards the struggle among these corps. Because they have been occupying the same seats for far too long, they have now become highly factionalised, they no longer speak their minds but rather parrot and echo the sentiments of the leader of the faction. To these former cadres, it is no longer about the revolution but it is more about securing their pensions and also at the same time developing an extensive network of patronage for life after politics. Their aims are no longer about resolving the contradictions of CST but about ensuring that their children and grandchildren are taken care of.

This parasitic patronage network has extended its tentacles to the youth league of the ANC and it is busy suffocating it to death. Youth leaders are appointed and no longer elected and this is done by creed and not the popular vote. The result of this is that you have light-minded, frivolous youth at the helm of the congress youth movement, a movement that is supposed to be the brain’s trust of congress is led by young people who know more about facilitating tender deals than they do about the NDR.

These are enemies of the new cadre whose sole aim is to effect thorough-going socio-economic transformation and these enemies are right in the NEC of the ANC and that is why the NEC of the ANC has been unable to implement “the decade of the cadre” in its entirety because the beginning of the new cadre is the end of the old cadre with its ossified political outlook in the NEC.

Conclusion

If we are to take a giant leap forward, the 55th National conference must take bold decisions such as curtailing the membership of the ANC from the age of 18-65 and that of the veteran’s league from 65 onwards. The ANC must actively seek to change its aging face by actively putting in place a few reforms such that it ready’s itself for the revolution it seeks to pursue.

The ANC must develop a clear cadre management system from the lowest-ranked member to its highest-ranking member. It must be a prerequisite that for you to stand for election in a branch you should at least produce a certificate from the OR Tambo political school. At a regional level, you should be able to satisfy the OR Tambo School of leadership that you have successfully completed a certain amount of modules in civil service and political economy studies and emotional intelligence. Those leading at structures higher than the region must also satisfy requirements made by the OR Tambo School of leadership.

We need to end the culture where one with the deepest pocket becomes our leader particularly if we want to effect change to the currently exploitative system of capitalism. Our means must justify our ends.

Finally, it would also be important for the cadre to be able to carry with him/her the courage of their own convictions as did Phila Ndwandwe when she was killed for refusing to give up her own comrades and we’d also wish to hear amongst us words such as those uttered by Barney Molokoane in showing his absolute conviction to the liberation movement and the struggle when he said “If we must die, then we must die like soldiers… I will not die running away from the police. I will not die from being shot in the back. I will die in battle, and until they shoot me in my forehead the battle will continue”.