Picture File: ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: Facebook
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the divisions within the governing party, saying despite its unity and renewal programme – the party remains highly divided since its last national conference five years ago.
Ramaphosa says disunity within the ANC, especially among its national leaders, was not driven by political differences, but by leaders who fight over positions in government and resources.
“Our experience of recent years is that disunity does not arise from ideological, political, or strategic differences among us.
“But it arises from a contest over positions in the state and resources that are attached to them. That is what causes disunity among us,” he said.
Ramaphosa made the remarks during his presentation of the political report at the ANC’s 55th national conference at the Johannesburg Expo Centre on Friday afternoon.
WATCH: ANC KZN delegates cheer for Zuma, heckle Ramaphosa at conference
The ANC president received a hostile reception from some ANC delegates, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal, as the five-day conference officially started after more than six hours of delays due to accreditation problems earlier.
On the contrary, Ramaphosa’s predecessor – former president Jacob Zuma – received cheers from the delegates at the gathering while Ramaphosa was heckled and disrupted before he could deliver his speech.
Ramaphosa admitted that five years since the ANC held its 54th national conference in 2017, the divisions within the party had continued to persist, especially at national level.
“We need to acknowledge that despite our efforts over the last five years, we are not as united or we are not as cohesive or as effective as we should be.”
The ANC leader, who’s seeking re-election for a second term at the conference in Nasrec, said the ANC should pursue unity and renewal based on principle and in an effort to unite the country.
Ramaphosa said squabbles among ANC leaders were costing the party votes.
“When our people see us disunited, they walk away from us. They only gravitate to the ANC when they see its leadership is united and its membership is united and cohesive; and its leadership is not at each other’s throats and does not continue to attack each other on public platforms,” said Ramaphosa.
He added that the fight against corruption and state capture had, at times, been the source of friction among ANC leaders.
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