The ANC needs a turnaround manager

What do you read into a situation where the secretary-general of a party stands up at a rally and tells the people to march against a VAT hike introduced by his own party?

Basically, mobilising the people to march against his own party. How will the people trust his party in future? Trust is not like underwear that you can take off, wash and wear a few days later. It is more like a ceramic tile: once it is broken, it cannot be fixed.

This situation is as ridiculous as the managing director of a business standing up and mobilising consumers against the price increases ushered in by his sales director.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule called on members of his party to join labour federation Cosatu against the 15% VAT hike introduced by his party’s government. According to the constitution of that organisation, clause 16.6: “The secretary-general is the chief administrative officer of the ANC.” This makes him the de facto managing director (MD) of the ANC.

This raises a few questions. Is Ace taking us for fools, playing good cop in a party and government of bad cops, or is he genuine?

If the former scenario is true, do he and the strategists who are behind this realise that every criticism of brand ANC by its own people takes away a piece of faith in that organisation?

The second scenario is worse. It suggests that the bridge between Luthuli House and the Union Buildings is broken, and to fix it will require a real turnaround manager. It may require a new MD who is not concerned with his own political survival or staying out of jail, but someone whose mission is to rebuild organisational structures.

A turnaround leader is very different from the business-as-usual leader. After all, it is business as usual that led to the mess in the first place.

A turnaround MD does not give solutions. He or she leads conversations by asking tough questions. He does not give direction, he clears the avenues and makes sure there are no pockets of incompetence running within the organisation like raw sewage that will recontaminate the business.

You’d think that former finance minister Malusi Gigaba would have, at least, discussed his VAT hike announcement with his party bosses prior to making it, particularly because his actions have serious consequences for the voters.

Maybe he did, and they replied in their hushed tones: “Go ahead, we’ll protest later.” This adds to political instability, but it also makes him the fall guy. Is it possible that Gigaba just considered Magashule too insignificant to speak to, in which case Magashule should grab the minister and ask him how he dare disrespect the people who give him legitimacy.

If you ever found yourself in the unenviable situation where you have to be a turnaround manager, just remember that chances are that the person before you had been fired. So you’ll have to prove that you are the right person for the job. If you are one of those people who aren’t comfortable with that fact, don’t take the job.

You will also have to revise your leadership style, and reading Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli’s book, The Prince, will be a good start.

Give a clear sense of direction with aggressive objectives. Create an exciting marketing programme to attract converts so that people can feel the sense of the new.

You’d be better off mobilising your consumers around an ideal and not against something, because a turnaround represents hope.

* Muzi Kuzwayo is the founder of Ignitive, an advertising agency.

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