The African National Congress (ANC) President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has called for an immediate end to factions in the party in honour of the late struggle icon, mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Ramaphosa delivered a keynote address at a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave of Madikizela-Mandela at the Fourways Memorial Park, north of Johannesburg, to mark the third anniversary of the struggle stalwart’s death.
ANC honouring Winnie Madikizela-Mandela with wreath laying ceremony:
According to Ramaphosa, practical interventions should be taken to ensure that members of the oldest liberation movement in Africa unite.
“She would have been saying that is the task that we need to be seized, with on an ongoing basis, finding ways at a practical level, to continue to unite this great glorious movement of our people that has led them since 1912. With 82 years of struggle, until we won our freedom in 1994, she would also have been saying we need to focus on the whole process of renewal,” he said.
Forging unity
At an Easter service, the ANC commemorated the life of Mama Winnie at a Church in Soweto where she spent her last Good Friday service.
ANC members attend Easter Friday church service:
Ramaphosa said the ANC will strive to maintain unity within its ranks as part of efforts to preserve the struggle stalwart’s legacy.
“If we tear this African National Congress apart, it will be of no use to anyone. That to me is the pointed message that I take away from this congregation today. You are actually admonishing us and saying to us, ‘do not tear this ANC garment, this ANC tunic because once you tear it apart there will be nothing left of use,” he said.
ANC President attends Good Friday church service in honour of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela:
ANC National Executive Committee member, Nomvula Mokonyane, says it’s befitting for the party to continue to honour the legacy of uMama Winnie.
“Today, we commemorate her life in the year of Charlotte Maxeke, who said when you go up, take the others with you. Mama did exactly that. She multiplied. We see ourselves in her character in us, doing the work we are doing to serve the people of South Africa and knowing that it will never be easy and it was never easy for Mama,” she said.
The remarks from the ANC leaders come amid tensions within the governing party. The party’s highest decision-making structure, the National Executive Committee, has recently resolved that leaders who face serious charges should step aside until their matters are resolved.
While this has been welcomed by some, others within the tripartite alliance aren’t happy. The Free State branch of the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Saturday said the resolution was designed to remove the governing party’s Secretary General, Ace Magashule, from office. It promised to galvanise support to ensure that this doesn’t happen. – Additional reporting by Natasha Phiri
