Mbeki warns ANC not to dismiss sentiments that SA is on auto-pilot

Former President Thabo Mbeki was the highlight of a memorial service which was held in honour of deceased African National Congress (ANC) deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte on Thursday.

Mbeki did not mince his words when he addressed the different challenges faced by the country, ranging from lawlessness, corruption and service delivery.

Mbeki started off by focusing on the the ANC’s 2017 elective conference where current president Cyril Ramaphosa was elected.

According to Mbeki, important decisions were taken at the conference in question with regards to the renewal of the governing party, stressing that failure to do that, the ANC would perish.

It has been over four years later and the party which is beset with internal factional battled, is still finding it difficult.

Addressing mourners, Mbeki said with the national policy conference meeting in a week’s time, the renewal matter will have to be on the agenda.

Mbeki said as far back as 1994, at the party’s 49^th conference, ANC members then were saying the party has begun to inherit people into the ranks of the ANC, who are not ANC.

He said people were coming into the organisation in order to use it as a step ladder to positions of state power in order to accumulate wealth for themselves.

“This statement has been made in all conferences of the ANC since 1994.

“The renewal is going to mean among other things ‘ridding ourselves of these people’ who joined the movement to serve themselves and to enrich themselves and we will have to go beyond deciding what is the definition to acting on the renewal and that is to honor the legacy of comrade Jessie,” Mbeki said to a resounding applause from the mourners.

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He said while the ANC correctly admits that South Africa is faced with challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality, the truth also has to be told that there is no national plan in place to address these issues.

“Comrade President Cyril Ramaphosa when he delivered the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in February, when he said in a 100 days there must be an agreed comprehensive social compact to address these matters… nothing has happened, nothing,” Mbeki said.

Service delivery at local government remains a huge challenge and it was not surprising when Mbeki gave his opinion on where things have gone wrong.

Local government

He said it was particularly ANC-led municipalities which are always found wanting in the auditor-general’s reports.

“That is the level of government which is directly in contact with the people every day, what message are we communicating to the people and it is illustrated by what is happening in Mangaung where a municipality is paralysed until national government has to intervene and who are these people who paralysed Mangaung, it’s ANC people, they are fighting among themselves and that has nothing to do with serving the people of South Africa.

“Who are these people in Mangaung, calling themselves ANC but in fact paralysed Mangaung?” he asked.

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Lawlessness

Mbeki expressed concern over the violent crimes that have occurred in the country, such as the shooting incidents which claimed many lives in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in recent weeks.

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Is South Africa on autopilot?

Early this week, following his election as general-secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Solly Mapaila remarked that the country is on ‘autopilot’ with a leadership failing to discharge its responsibilities to lead.

Mbeki said while ANC members may differ on this statement, it is not something that can be easily dismissed, as he fears that South Africa might have its own version of the Arab Spring.

“You remember what happened in Tunis when that Arab Spring happened, there was a street hawker who got abused by the police and destroyed whatever he was selling and that got the country angry… that’s how that massive uprising started… it’s because the problems were brewing under the surface, they just needed only that thing, a little spark.

“One of my fears is that one of these days it’s going to happen to us… you can’t have so many people unemployed, so many people poor, people faced with this lawlessness I’m talking about, faced with a leadership where they see ANC people, one after the other being called corrupt… one day it’s going to explode,” Mbeki warned.