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President Cyril Ramaphosa has thrust the opulent lifestyle of his comrades to the forefront of debate.
The ANC's propensity to show off through its members often seen in expensive vehicles and designer clothes has been a subject of debate in past elections.
The ANC first took issue with this when it lost support in the 2016 municipal elections. At the time, ANC leaders were pictured wearing designer clothing while asking for votes from community members whose houses were falling apart.
During the campaign leading up to the May 29 elections, videos of ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula driving a luxury car, a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, while throwing ANC T-shirts out the window circulated on social media.
Mbalula was criticised for visiting a poor area in Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, in expensive cars.
In his closing address at the national executive committee (NEC) lekgotla on Tuesday, Ramaphosa urged party members to shift their focus from showcasing their expensive belongings to serving the people who vote for them.
Ramaphosa said the behaviour created an impression that ANC members were better than other people.
“If we are divided, if we tolerate acts of corruption and patronage, if we live lavish lifestyles that portray ourselves to be better than our people and appear to only look after our own, then not even the best communication strategy will be able to improve our standing among our people,” he said.
He outlined the party's strategies in communicating to its constituency after a bruising outright majority vote loss in the May 29 elections.
“The lekgotla paid particular attention to the task of communications and the need to engage more vigorously in the battle of ideas. We were reminded that communication is an essential political task that must be integral to our work, whether in the movement, communities or government.
“We know actions speak louder than words. We communicate through our conduct, our actions and the difference we make in people's lives.”
Ramaphosa said for the strategy to work, party members' actions need to reflect the party's mandate.
“The renewal of the ANC must be reflected in our everyday behaviour, in how we conduct ourselves on public platforms and what we post on social media. Let us not occupy headlines for the wrong reasons. Let us be known for excellence and competence.
“Every NEC member, every public representative, every deployee and every cadre must consider themselves communicators. They need to be suitably skilled and capacitated and they need to understand the positions and messages of the ANC and they need to exercise discipline and responsibility.”
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