ANC Zone 7: ‘Siyavuma CR17 to lead’
"Our leadership is capable of coming up with great policies but failures to implement them."
Africa National Congress (ANC) Zone Seven invited the Deputy President Cyril “CR17” Ramaphosa to deliver Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture at Nkoni Maropeng last Saturday.
Delivering the lecture, Ramaphosa touched several topical subjects which are negatively affecting the ruling party.
Ramaphosa cited that such challenges should be dealt with in a bid to renew and purify their movement prior to the ANC national election conference in December.
He reminded the crowds that the ruling party has been in the forefront of women empowerment and 50/50 representations in leadership positions despite some detractors claiming it would be highly impossible to archive.
“Oliver Tambo held the ANC by the scruff of its neck in exile and made sure that the ANC becomes gender representative and sensitive. Tambo wanted the role of women to be recognised in the political space of this country,” said the Deputy President.
“The face of poverty affecting African women is long in this country because they are the ones who are facing unemployment, got less paying jobs and who have inadequate job skills.
“They also have less representation in management positions both in the public and private sector.”
He highlighted the scourge of abuse cases facing women in society and urge perpetrators to refrain from their negative actions.
“If money of our country is illegally taken away from us by an individual family, we should demand that money to be paid back. That is a mandate tasked to us by 11 million voters who voted the ANC into power, “said Ramaphosa.
He said the ANC must provide solutions in all spheres of society because that is what OR would have demand from the current leadership.
Ramaphosa further reminded local branches to build and make the ANC stronger and ready to take over Gauteng and reclaim back all municipalities in the province.
He reminded ANC members about their recently held policy conference, where great policies were adopted.
“Leadership to be elected in December should implement those great policies. Our leadership is capable of coming up with great policies but failures to implement them.
“We came up with good policies in health, education, economy and other spheres. The new leadership must be accountable to the branches that elected them into power,” said Ramaphosa.
He cited the importance of building strong ANC branches which are active and united.
Ramaphosa said their task is to build ANC brick by brick, mortar by mortar, and finally, put up a beautiful roof on top.
CR 17 said the current ANC leadership task is easier compared to the task faced by the then OR in exile.
He said despite challenges faced by OR, he tackled those challenges head-on and handed a healthy ANC to today’s leadership.
“OR unified the ANC in exile while facing brutal apartheid regime which planted spies within the movement.
“Leadership should listen to the people because they are much wiser today. When people complain about corruption, we should listen to them and act upon that. That was OR’s way of dealing with challenges,” concluded CR17.
The crowd erupted in song: “Sihamba no Cyril, sihamba ne nkokheli, asinamahloni (We are going with Cyril, we are going with the leader and we are not ashamed about that).
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