WATCH: ‘Ramaphosa’s election as ANC leader was illegitimate’ – Zuma

Former President Jacob Zuma says the African National Congress (ANC) must iron out various issues before the party’s elective conference and elect leaders who are capable, in a direct swipe at President Cyril Ramaphosa and his leadership.

Zuma was speaking at the OR Tambo Memorial lecture in uMlazi, south of Durban on Sunday

Swipe at Ramaphosa

Zuma hit out at Ramaphosa, the ANC’s current leader, saying his leadership is illegitimate as it was attained through the use of money, bypassing the democratic nature of the national conference.

“There were clear allegations made that Cyril Ramaphosa who was contesting the presidency used a lot of money to buy his position as president of the ANC. But when this allegation was made, the Fica was put at around a billion rand.”

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Zondo Commission

In the Zondo Commission, Cyril Ramaphosa openly admitted that he did use money to buy the position, but said it was not over one billion rand, but it was just over R300 million,” Zuma said.

Zuma said the ANC has not scrutinised the issues surrounding Ramaphosa.

“The reality we have is a president who was not elected properly through the democratic process, but had used money to buy people to support him or vote for him. Therefore, he used our democratic process and definitely abused the democratic process.”

Corrupt hands

“The organisation, its policies and politics have been consumed by a patronage network which is characterised by corrupt hands exchanging hands.

“These corrupt hands are making comrades by votes instead of being elected fairly and correctly. This leads to leaders being elected for the wrong reasons. They are therefore at the core of corruption in the ANC,” Zuma said.

ANC policies

Zuma said branches need to elect leaders that will implement ANC policies and prioritise the needs of the people which the current leadership has failed to do in the past 5 years

“They sat and watched the ANC collapse.”

He encouraged members to question the current leadership, over the non-payment of staff salaries, step-aside resolutions and allegations facing the ANC and its leaders.

Zuma said these issues must be corrected at next month’s ANC elective conference.

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