The ANC a ‘sinking ship’ − Panyaza Lesufi [VIDEO]

The ANC chairperson in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, has said that the moment the party is removed from power, it will be difficult for black people to “survive”.  

Lesufi was speaking at the start of the ANC’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) lekgotla in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, on Sunday.

ANC provincial and regional leaders, including party members deployed in government, are attending the two-day meeting to reflect on the outcomes of the 29 May elections and to work on a programme of action for government of provincial unity.

Watch Panyaza Lesufi speaking about the status of the ANC

PANYAZA LESUFI

The moment the ANC is removed from power and replaced by [a reactionary party like] the DA, just know that black people are going to feel the pain.

It doesn't matter whether you are an educated professional (engineer or doctor), you will struggle both in the… pic.twitter.com/tEVO56FaDu

— Constitution First 🇿🇦 (@Constitution_94) August 18, 2024

“ANC sinking ship”

Lesufi described his party as a “sinking ship.”

“Insteaf of all of us trying to check and save this ship from sinking, we are squabbling among ourselves on who must take ownership of the ship. You can take the ownership of the ship, but the ship will be at the belly of the sea, and it will be meaningless.

“What we need to do is to save this ship. And comrades, we must not behave as if the signals were not there,” Lesufi said.

He said ANC members must “rise and rebuild this movement”.

“Because there is no other movement that we have except the African National Congress… Reality is that if the ANC goes, it is going to be very difficult for all of us to survive. And not to survive on the basis of government things, but to survive because the strategic centre that paves the way for transformation and access would have been removed.”

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Lesufi on power and authority

Lesufi said if the ANC accepts that it wants to build an “ethical and developmental state” that delivers services, the party first needs to look at officials in government that are assigned “big tasks” to implement things in government.

“The provincial executive committee of the ANC arrived at the position that a majority of these officials are no longer officials. They are business people by night, officials by day and they are captured by many institutions.

“We must draw the [line] in the sand now, that from now on, the power and the authority of government does not lie with officials, the power and authority of government lies with the African National Congress and the African National Congress will defend its right to exist,” Lesufi said.

Lesufi on Floyd Shivambu  

Lesufi  also warned all in sundry not to celebrate the former Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) deputy president, Floyd Shivambu’s decision to jump ship to uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, as the ANC faces a similar problem.

“Floyd Shivambu from the EFF to MK Party it can’t be seen as a non-entity, it’s a historic event and as the leadership of the ANC we must analyse it in a manner that will strengthen the presence of the ANC, Lesufi said.

Elections

The ANC was battered at the polls losing the majority of votes nationally and in the key provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Former president Jacob Zuma’s MK party also proved to be a big factor, having led to the ANC vote dropping in a big way – from 57% to 40%.

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