African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has warned that the party must clean up its act or risk losing the trust of South Africans.
He was speaking at the reburial of struggle veterans Todd Matshikiza, Esme Sheila Matshikiza, and John Pogiso Maroo in Komani on Saturday.
Mbalula described the ANC’s poor showing in the 2024 elections as a “strategic setback” and said the party must return to its founding values of honesty, humility, and service.
During the elections last year, the ANC lost its outright majority for the first time since 1994, forcing it into a coalition to remain in government.
“Our commitment to organisational renewal requires of the ANC to be responsive to the dreams and aspirations of the multi-forces for progressive change”.
“This renewal, comrades, demands that we restore a culture where the ANC’s internal life is indistinguishable from the values that we proclaim. These values, people-centred, honesty, humility, integrity, and servant leadership, must always define our movement and become central in our efforts to reverse the trust deficit with our people”.
Mbalula said that the electoral outcomes of the 2024 national and provincial elections had plunged the movement into uncharted waters.
“The electoral outcomes of the 2024 national and provincial elections plunged the movement into uncharted waters, a moment we characterised as a strategic setback for the national democratic revolution”.
He emphasised that the ANC must take bold and decisive action to address corruption and rebuild trust with the public.
“Where there is corruption, we must uproot it. Where there is patronage, we must dismantle it. Where there is cynicism, we must answer with principled action.
“We must be bold to say to those who use the name of our movement to enrich themselves by stealing from the poor and commit criminal acts not in our name. Even if a comrade can be your best friend, your best relative, not in our name”.
IOL Politics
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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