Former ANC President, Thabo Mbeki has warned against what he calls a “trap” where suddenly African National Congress (ANC) gatherings are used to already pronounce on the next party leaders, way ahead of the 55th elective conference in December.
He says it’s anti-ANC and should not be encouraged.
During the ANC January 8th statement in Polokwane, Limpopo, Chairperson of the party in that province, Stan Mathabatha pronounced that Limpopo would support Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term in office.
Former ANC President Thabo Mbeki continues to engage party members in the Free State:
Mbeki is wrapping up a three-day trip to the Free State, invited by the ANC Interim Committee, seeking to forge unity and renew the party in the province.
He told delegates that the focus should be to deal with internal challenges like factionalism.
“The reason it’s a trap is because if we take that route, then we will be preoccupied with this question who is supporting me and canvas and all sorts of things and completely forget about these urgent national tasks. Preoccupied with this question; I want to be a leader, time-consuming, absorbing all your energies in the meantime we are talking about all these important national challenges.”
Mbeki says if the governing party collapses, the country would be ungovernable.
“Comrades, the ANC owes it to the nation, to the country to sort itself out, not so that Mxolisi Dukwana should be in charge, but so that the ANC plays a role that is expected of it by the people. This state, which the ANC has always been committed from its foundation, to serve the people of South Africa. That’s all it needs to do. It’s to serve the people of South Africa. We must bring back the ANC to do that.”
Mbeki’s visit to the Free State aims to help renew and unite the ANC in the province:
