WATCH: Motlanthe clarifies ‘good for ANC if voted out’ remark

Former African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said his 2017 comments where he said, “It would be good for the ANC itself if it was voted out” was not him distancing himself from the governing party.

Motlanthe was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of his door-to-door visits in Diepkloof, Soweto. He was listening to residents concerns ahead of the May 29 elections.

LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more!

View Map

Motlanthe in 2017 said the ANC had to “hit rock bottom” and lose the national elections “for the penny to drop” in the minds of ANC members.

Watch: Kgalema Motlanthe speaking about his remarks

Kgalema Motlanthe, former ANC Deputy President, said his 2017 comments where he said, “It would be good for the ANC itself if it was voted out” were not him distancing himself from the party.

He said at the time he felt the ANC couldn’t hear the cries of the people. TCG pic.twitter.com/NuqxYxGOBG

— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 3, 2024

‘Good if ANC voted out’

“It would be good for the ANC itself if it was voted out, because… those elements who are in it for the largess will quit, will desert it, and only then the possibility would arise to salvage whatever is left of it,” Motlanthe said in an interview with BBC News Africa, News24 reported at the time.

ALSO READ: We’ll bring own cutlery and chair to Zuma’s ANC disciplinary hearing, says MK party

Motlanthe said at the time, he felt the ANC could not hear the cries of the people, adding that he was always going to vote for the ANC.

“At the particular time, in 2017, I did make the point that perhaps the ANC has lost the ability to hear the cries and criticisms of its support base, and that perhaps that message would be heard loud and clear if the ANC were to lose elections. It wasn’t like a prediction.

“It wasn’t like a wish, but a plea rather to the leadership of the ANC to open up their ears and hear the cries of the ordinary people. That’s what it was,” Motlanthe said.

Context

He said it is important to consider the context in which his comments were made.

“It’s always important in considering the context at what point was a certain statement made to what and then that way, you know, we were all together. There’s no confusion about it here. So there is no contradiction, because even then, if you followed, what I said was that I was going to vote for the ANC.”

Although Motlanthe told BBC Hardtalk that his vote was his secret, he told BBC World Service Radio in April 2017 that his vote for the ANC could not be taken as “given” come the 2019 elections.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Ramaphosa confident ANC will get over 50% in elections