Thabo Mbeki: ANC has not betrayed SA

Former president Thabo Mbeki has denied claims the ANC has betrayed South Africans, but says the ANC needs to account for its failings over the nearly 30 years it has been in power.

Mbeki was addressing mourners at the ANC’s memorial service for anti-apartheid activist Aziz Pahad on Thursday evening in Johannesburg. The former deputy minister of foreign affairs died last month at his Saxonwold home surrounded by his family. He was 82 years old.

ANC needs to account

Mbeki attended the recent Interfaith Forum of South Africa (TIFSA) conference where a fellow delegate said it was time to recognise that all of the negative developments in the country were because of the ANC.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Mbeki claims load shedding was deliberately created by Eskom

“They were saying the ANC has betrayed us. The ANC has betrayed our hopes. Enough is enough”.

“I felt rather sad because I thought of this memorial and thought we are going to say goodbye to Aziz who never betrayed anybody. He was ANC to the bone”.

He said the ANC had not betrayed South Africans, but the party needed to account.

“The statement made that the ANC has betrayed them was incorrect, but it is an explanation the ANC must make about what has been happening in this country. One of these things has been the weakening of the ANC.”

Where is the ANC renewal?

He said the party had pledged to renew itself but several years later had not.

“The fact of the matter is that we did not renew the ANC following the party conference resolution of 2017. That resolution was repeated by the conference of 2022. We are now in October and nothing has happened to renew the ANC.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Mbalula clarifies remarks about disrespecting Thabo Mbeki

He said those who complained about the state of the country were not wrong.

“What they were saying was correct. The challenge we face, those of us who are alive, is how we respond to that reality. That is why I felt very sorry that Aziz left us when he did. He was ready to confront that truth and do something about it”.

He said many complained of a “crisis of governance, and something needed to be done about that or problems would not be solved”.

A failing government

He said he agreed with Institute of Race Relations CEO John Endre’s assessment that the power of the state would recede, losing authority and credibility. Endre predicted government would have the inability to translate plans into action; and create further disconnect between the ruling elite and those they govern.

“I think he is telling the truth about what is happening in this country, and it is something we need to address.

“We are losing the possibility of the state acting in the interest of the millions of our people who are poor and disempowered”.