“We have betrayed the hopes of those who died for freedom. We have dashed the hopes of the whole of Africa and Black people everywhere. Similarly, the Nigerian political elite has followed the same path as their South African counterparts, because it is unable to transform the economy and ensure that every Nigerian enjoys the benefits of democracy. The two largest economies of Africa have not met the aspirations of their people under democracy”.
In March 2005, Omano Edigheji, who was then research manager at the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), was livid after reading the ANC’s discussion documents for its forthcoming National General Council (NGC), a mid-term review of the party’s performance. The ANC convenes NGCs mid-way between its national conferences, which are held every five years. “The discussion document on the economy was the most reactionary I had ever read. I realised that South Africa would reverse the gains it had made since 1994 if the ANC…