If you cut apart and examine the structure of this assertion (study the particularity) it’s very serious.

WHAT IS THEORY? It’s a systematised knowledge which include guiding line, method, plan or policy that guide performance of whatever task. An assertion that says “practice without theory is like running passionately in the dark forest” stems from this understanding. Practice without theory is blind, meaning blind application. Achieving a predetermined goal with a blind application happens by chance or accidentally, definitely not consciously and mastery.

CONTRADICTIONS; KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE ACTING TOGETHER IN OPPOSITION TO EACH OTHER Knowledge and Ignorance are two sides of the same coin contesting dominance on the same space within individuals. Without embarking on a conscious and deliberate knowledge assimilation or acquisition process that will impart knowledge from one-sided to all-sided, from low to high, from hollow to full, it’s inevitable that ignorance will arrogantly subordinate knowledge and play a principal role in shaping and conditioning next stage of actions. This dynamic will express itself in practice when predetermined goals won’t be achieved as a result of inappropriate methods or choice of tactics applied.

If one can conduct an unevenness study (knowledge vs ignorance contradictions) of ANC Membership, which aspect between knowledge and ignorance will be dominant and play principal role in suffocating the other?

With a benefit of hindsight, were we as ANC not excited, without thinking through ramifications, when we set up the target of 1 million membership without a plan of transforming that Quantity into Quality? What are the potential threats of quantity assuming a dominant position and subordinating quality? Are we today not doing firefighting of problems that stem from yesterday’s mistaken theory of looking at things in isolation as opposed to their interconnection? The million dollar question, CAN ANC BE A REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION with membership, (which is also regarded as an “Electoral College “ that establish all leadership organs,) that is not armed with revolutionary theory? Is this neglect of duty (Cadre Policy) not a recipe of sliding organisation along the slippery slope?

Written by former Umvoti Mayor Thami Ngubane in his personal capacity