‘Conference results proof that ANC is a criminal enterprise’ – Mashaba

Whilst the re-election of Cyril Ramaphosa as African National Congress (ANC) president was widely seen as victory, ActionSA has charged that the ANC remains a deeply ethically compromised organisation.

Party leader Herman Mashaba said the ANC and its leadership spent the better part of conference jostling for position and embroiled in factional battles, but almost no time was spent on the challenges of unemployment, load shedding, crime, education or illegal immigration.

He said this is the reason South Africans must stop looking for solutions from the ANC when the party only cared about which faction gets to “stuff their furniture”.

Compromised leaders

Mashaba said Ramaphosa beat his challenger, Zweli Mkhize, with 2 467 votes out of 4 364 despite complicity in the R150 million Digital Vibes scandal.

He said moreover, Nomvula Mokonyane has made her way to the Top 7 despite the State Capture Report finding that she should be prosecuted for corruption after finding sufficient evidence that she took bribes from Bosasa.

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“The election of such unethical individuals to the leadership of the ANC is an indictment of the values of the organisation. We appreciate that some South Africans regard this as the election of the lesser devils, but it is clear that the ANC remains a criminal enterprise with [Ramaphosa] at its helm who, to this day, is yet to answer for his culpability in the Phala Phala Farmgate debacle. This dark cloud of criminality still hangs over his head and is certain to follow him throughout his new term as party president,” Mashaba said.

Criminal enterprise

The former mayor of City of Johannesburg said this elective result reaffirmed their assertion that indeed that there is no doubt that the ANC is a criminal enterprise, and that their position had been vindicated by this latest development.

He said South Africans deserve a president whose leadership was beyond reproach and after Jacob Zuma, now Cyril and the ANC Top 7, it is clear that ethical leadership cannot be found in the ANC.

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“The only way South Africa will prosper is – if we remove this criminal organisation from government and elect a competent and ethical government that will put the interests of the country first,” Mashaba said in a statement.

Deal with real issues  

He said now that Ramaphosa had secured his second term as ANC president and president of the country, he must honour his commitment to South Africans that he now takes decisive action to root out corruption and take decisive steps to address load shedding and widespread unemployment.

Mashaba said it is worth noting that in his opening speech to the Elective Conference, Ramaphosa admitted that ANC policy, poor management and corruption caused load shedding.

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As the president of the ANC and of the country, he said Ramphosa must do more than just acknowledge this self-evident truth, he must now address the Eskom issue once and for all.

“It must be repeated that South Africa over the last decade has had to come to terms with political leaders who are battling criminal charges and violations of the Constitution. This seems to preoccupy these leaders when the country is desperate for effective and ethical leadership,” Mashaba charged.

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