The majority of participants at an African National Congress (ANC) symposium, held at the Brits’ Primindia Community Hall in the Madibeng local municipality, have called for a serious renewal and unity within the ANC.
The symposium was attended by a group of ANC veterans and some ordinary members from across the North West province. The aim was to reflect on the state of the ANC in the province ahead of the party’s provincial conference next month.
Some of the main contenders for the position of provincial chairperson were expected to be in attendance, but unfortunately were absent. One of the veterans who was the main speaker, former North West ANC provincial spokesperson and MEC for Agriculture, Eliot Mayisela. He reflected on the challenges facing the party.
“We are beginning to witness a culture of impunity, a culture of ill-discipline. These tendencies that I am talking about, are tendencies that we have no choice as an organisation, but to deal with them decisively. It starts from an example with the kind of membership that we attract into the ANC, whereby everybody just becomes a member of the ANC today, and becomes a leader overnight,” says Mayisela.
Another veteran, who is also a former North West ANC provincial executive member, Themba Gwabeni, has urged delegates to the conference to ensure they elect credible leaders.
” If they elect cowards, liars, thieves and autocrats, that is what they are going to get. So they need to go to the fundamental basics. They must be honest, they must be sincere. If they are going to lead us. If they are going to listen to leaders who are giving them money, they know the outcome. Here is a thief buying you, what do you expect, obviously he has bought delegates. If he is able to buy delegates who says he cannot sell the country,” says Gwabeni.
He was speaking to the SABC following protests, accusations and counter-accusations that have rocked the second day of the elective conference.
Some delegates who have been barred from participating in the conference are protesting outside the venue.
They are accusing Masina and his supporters of conspiring to disqualify them in a desperate attempt to rig the elections. But Masina has called for calm.
ANC Ekurhuleni Regional Elective Conference under way:
