Editor’s voice: The ANC blundered through arrogance
He admitted that although they delivered some of the services, they ignored some of the vital things that affect people on a daily basis.
At last a politician has admitted wrongs of the past, unapologetically.
Chairperson of the ruling party, Mr David Mabuza stated that the ANC blundered through arrogance, infighting and the imposition of ward candidates, which cost the province an eight-percent decline.
He admitted that although they delivered some of the services, they ignored some of the vital things that affect people on a daily basis.
The fact that he voiced this during the provincial ANC lekgotla on Saturday proved that the last elections were an eye-opener.
The party has realised that the people on the ground wield the power; whether by voting for the party or taking their vote to the opposition or simply abstaining from casting their vote.
The elections showed that if the ruling party does not aspire to deliver what the people need, they may lose their grip on power – as seen in the Gauteng and the Eastern Cape metros.
Truth be told, the fact that the ANC led the liberation struggle, alongside other organisations mind you, is not a lifetime pass to being the ruling party.
Just like they did when they fought against oppression and colonialism, the same zeal needs to be demonstrated on a daily basis as they go about changing people’s lives across the spectrum.
Mabuza has also admitted that corruption has been a norm in the tender system, especially in the infamous feeding scheme, which has been marred by scandals over the years.
He has turned the corner and exposed his own comrades in the Department of Education whom he claims reneged on a new approach to dealing with the feeding-scheme issue.
His plan is simple: he wants to get rid of the tender system and benefit communities directly, so that they become the suppliers of resources and are employed.
That’s economic emancipation for the jobless, if only it can be implemented. Mabuza also mentioned that even when schools are built in communities, the suppliers of the material will be the community itself.
It sounds good does it not, but the question is: will it be implemented?
But with the ruling party caught in the decline during the last elections, the communities will certainly be the winners, the party needs to woo them back at any cost. But time will tell.
