03/09/2026
There is no such thing as a "FOURTH TERM" in the ANC.
A member is elected at conference for a specific term, clearly defined by tenure in the Constitution.
The Constitution does not stop any member in good standing from making themselves available for election — but it is not an entitlement, and it is not an automatic guarantee of another term. The term ends when structures go to conference. Finish and klaar.
The moment we accept that a "fourth term" exists, we have already accepted that leadership is something one holds and is entitled to — rather than something one is lent, and must earn.
We dare not build a hierarchy of tenure. That is a recipe for gerontocracy.
Language matters. It shapes thought. Only institutionalised, ardent factional agendas embrace language like this. No term should ever be automatic.
Cde Harry Gwala once contested the position of Deputy President — the same position Cde Walter Sisulu contested at the 48th National Conference, held in Durban, 2–7 July 1991. Cde Gwala received a small number of votes; Cde Sisulu won comfortably. When Cde Gwala was asked why he ran, he said it was "to teach the young members of the ANC about democracy."
Good evening to all aspirant fourth-termists.