Secretary General of the ANC Gwede Mantashe speaks to the media during a press conference at Albert Luthuli House in Johannesburg on 29 May 2017. The conference comes after a weekend meeting of the NEC in which the possible recall of President Jacob Zuma was discussed. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia
With a few months left before the African National Congress’ 54th national conference in December, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has urged the party’s members to pledge their loyalty to the organisation, and not individuals.
Speaking on Sunday at a mini-rally in Nyanga, Cape Town, Mantashe warned against personality cults in the ANC, News24 reported.
“With the divisive T-shirts, you are pledging your loyalty to an individual, not the ANC. You need to pledge loyalty to ANC, not individuals,” he reportedly said.
The ANC secretary-general was referring to the audience of about 200 people who had attended the rally at the Oscar Mphetha High School. Some of the people were clad in ANC presidential hopefuls Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Lindiwe Sisulu T-shirts and held their banners.
The rally was ahead of Tuesday’s by-election in Cape Town’s Ward 37, in which Luyanda Nyingwa will represent the ANC.
“You shouldn’t be loyal to an individual, you’re loyal to the ANC,” Mantashe said.
According to the report, he said factions discuss individuals, not programmes.
Mantashe said after December’s elective conference – due to be held in Gauteng from 16 to 20 December – South Africans should be able to say the governing party is serious.
He said the focus of the ANC should not be on individuals, but on rejuvenating the party’s reputation.
Mantashe also called on the audience to hold their ward councillors accountable.
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