African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has challenged the party members to go back to the grassroots level and make sure the ANC is functional at the branch level.
He says the ANC can’t exist at a national level, with a so-called functional leadership, yet on the ground, there’s no ANC.
Ramaphosa says this was reflected during the local government elections last year, that the ANC at branch level is dysfunctional.
The ANC President addressed a Cadres Forum at the Sekhukhune Region in Limpopo, ahead of the party’s 110th birthday celebrations on Saturday.
“We need to ask ourselves, beyond what we put on paper and comrade one a bolela ka alliance ore we need to beyond what we put on paper and look at the workings of the ANC at branch level, look at the workings of the alliance, ore are these organs alive or not, or do they exist in our own heads,” says Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has made a humble appeal to both the leaders and members of the ANC to do away with factionalism within the organisation.
He says this clearly had a negative impact on the party’s performance during the 2021 local government elections. He says ANC members should not be loyal to individuals within the movement, but to the party itself in order to further advance the ANC.
“You got to be loyal to the African National Congress, that’s the only person or organisation or entity that you should be loyal to and respect. We moving to a stage where even ordinary people are becoming choosey, more perceptive when things don’t go well, they walk away from us.”
Ramaphosa on ConCourt vandalism
Ramaphosa has described as concerning the acts of vandalism at the Constitutional Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. A 36-year-old man has been arrested after he allegedly used a hammer to smash windows at the Constitutional Court buildings.
Ramaphosa says he’s yet to be briefed by the relevant ministers on the matter but says it’s a real concern for the country.
“Well, I’m still to get a report on that and the ministers are looking at it. I mean it’s really concerning but they are going to investigate and we will find out exactly what happened there.”
Buildup programme kicks off today towards #ANC110 January 8th Statement taking place this Saturday, 8 January 2022 at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo. Today I am in the Sekhukhune region. pic.twitter.com/X880B1SnTW
— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? (@CyrilRamaphosa) January 5, 2022
Meanwhile, ANC Deputy President David Mabuza has committed to visiting Limpopo next month in order to engage with traditional leaders about their challenges.
Mabuza met with traditional leaders from the Capricorn district at the Jake Botes Hall in Polokwane.
ANC Deputy President David Mabuza engages traditional leaders at the Polokwane Municipal Chambers:
