The ANC stalwarts, veterans and military council members – under the banner of For the Sake of Our Future – urged President Jacob Zuma to resign at the recent national consultative conference.
The group was formed as a platform to convey their concerns to the party about corruption, mismanagement and lack of accountability in government. Other concerns they want to address include the erosion of the ANC’s values, ethics, moral standing and image in society.
The group feels shunned by the National Executive Committee which seemingly denies them an audience when they could provide wise counsel to help curb the party’s decline. This, as the jostling for positions and power deepens weeks before the party’s national conference this month when new leadership will be elected and its mandate to the country renewed.
In a statement, the stalwarts recommended measures to renew and consolidate the ANC and its democratic gains and to fulfil citizens’ aspirations enshrined in the Freedom Charter.
“We are hurt by the current paralysed leadership’s betrayal of our people’s long-standing support and trust in the ANC, [their] failure to deal with ill-discipline, incompetence and corruption which points directly at the president,” the statement read.
“Also, the parliament and the executive, led by the president, which has been found wanting in their constitutional obligations by the highest court in the land.
“We are disturbed by leadership’s disdain for co-operation with community-based organisations; its mismanagement of the economy causing unprecedented unemployment; reckless and indecisive leadership exacerbating poverty; and marginalising women and the youth.”
The group attributed the appalling state of the education system, increased crime rate, the insecurity of the vulnerable, dehumanising gender violence and moral decay to the leadership. They alleged that the leadership is self-centred, dishonest and lacks vision for the future and that this has corrupted and created dysfunctional policing and prosecution services.
Read: South Africa’s education crisis at a glance
They claimed this resulted in:
- Systematic looting of public resources by elected representatives and civil servants
- Capture of state institutions for factional and corrupt purposes
- Dishonourable practices which marginalise competent, honest leaders and officials who are keen to protect the country
- Assassinations and violence due to political infighting and criminality
- Systematic erosion of the state’s ability to carry out its service delivery mandate
- Diminished stature and reputation of the country and party globally
- Polarised alliance membership, gatekeeping in party branches and divisions in parliament.
They recommended that the conference should:
- Elect principled leaders and for President Jacob Zuma to resign for letting down the party and country
- Conduct free and fair elections
- Align the party and country’s constitutions
- Review the national electoral system periodically
- Allow the electorate to elect the national president directly as provided for in the Constitution
- Develop a system and plan to guide party members and leadership on values and renewal
- Professionalise and modernise party membership and other systems
- Improve effectiveness in communication and management methods
- Improve strategies for human and material resource supervision and use in the party
- Oppose all corrupt practices, abuse of power and all forms of self-enrichment
- Eradicate cliques and factions
- Respect and strengthen state institutions, democratic practices and the rule of law
- Ensure the independence of the party’s integrity commission
- Activate the delayed judicial inquiry on state capture and corruption and ensure transgressors are prosecuted
- Outlaw ethnicity, tribalism, racism and all retrogressive tendencies.
Details: Mpho Kgomotso 083 222 2327.
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