Cyril’s plea to Muslims at Eid

In what looked like a part of his unofficial campaign for the top spot in the ANC, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday attended Eid ceremonies and urged the Muslim community to pray for the ANC ahead of its policy conference this weekend.

Speaking in Lenasia, Ramaphosa said: “We ask you to pray for us to elect ANC leaders in December that will move our country forward and restore South Africans’ faith in democracy. We pray for leaders who will embrace values that you have practised devoutly during Ramadan.

“They must approach political office as a long period of fasting‚ self-sacrifice‚ and service to the poor … We must enter into a national covenant that we will continue to be on the side of justice‚ truth and righteousness.

“We must be courageous to stand up against those who act against the interest of the poor and marginalised. Together, we must pray and work for the salvation of our nation.”

Later, Ramaphosa made a more emphatic statement at the elective conference of the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union in Boksburg.

“Now is not the time to keep quiet,” he said.

According to Eyewitness News, he told unionists that members of the ANC-led alliance should continue speaking out against the ruling party when it made mistakes.

Ramaphosa’s remarks were in “stark contrast” to President Jacob Zuma’s criticism of alliance partners, who called on him to step down.

Ramaphosa said refraining from speaking out was unrevolutionary.

“If, as members of the alliance, we see that one component of the alliance is making a mistake and we leave them to continue with the mistake, that is an unrevolutionary act, that’s actually a betrayal of the objectives of our revolution.”

Ramaphosa also urged people to give the Hawks the benefit of the doubt and allow them to investigate the allegations of state capture. – news@citizen.co.za