Johannesburg - IN a show of force ahead of what is expected to be fiercely contested municipal elections, the ANC Women’s League drew more than 100 000 supporters to the Union Buildings for a national interfaith prayer session.
League president and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini used the event to launch scathing attacks on the country’s judiciary, threatening the ANC would retaliate if it encroached on the political arena.
She also criticised the ANC’s military veterans and the EFF for political posturing, while calling for 50/50 gender representation after the municipal elections on August 3.
Dlamini announced that 110 000 people had attended the event, while league spokeswoman Fundi Skweyiya put the figure at 120 000, saying supporters had been bused in from all nine provinces.
She said the league stood by its decision to support embattled President Jacob Zuma following the Constitutional Court judgment that found Zuma violated the constitution over the public protector’s remedial actions on the non-security upgrades at his Nkandla home.
A day after the unanimous judgment was handed down by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, Dlamini said they sought the legal opinion of a “young” advocate who told them there were no grounds to impeach Zuma.
Without naming Justice Mogoeng, Dlamini said: “Those who delivered the judgment have become politicians. They are addressing commemorations, explaining their own judgment and talking about moral values. In the process they have failed to hold their role of being neutral.
“We are saying if they want to come to the political space, sizoxovana nabo (we will thrash them). If they want to become something else, they must be that. If they want to be Chapter 9 institutions, we are going to respect them. If they carry themselves with respect, we are going to respect them.”
Dlamini lashed out at those she said were out to disrespect the ANC processes, saying unity was paramount and they would continue working with the controversial “premier league”, a group led by the premiers of North West (Supra Mahumapelo), Mpumalanga (David Mabuza) and Free State (Ace Magashula).
The trio, who are also ANC chairmen in their respective provinces, are accused of having influenced the recent elective conferences of the ANC Women’s League where Dlamini was elected, and the ANC Youth League, where Collen Maine emerged as president.
On Saturday, Mahumapelo and Magashula attended the event at the Union Buildings, but did not address supporters.
The Women’s League has in the past been accused of being used by certain factions in the ANC to provide votes for preferred male candidates.
But on Saturday Dlamini seemed to be sending a strong message to the heads of the organisation, saying: “Let no man think they are going to control us.”
Referred to only as the “red overalls”, the EFF and other opposition parties were accused of orchestrating a litany of conspiracies against Zuma in order to “destroy the ANC”.
“They want to demonise him right before our eyes. They blame everything on him,” Dlamini said.
She had worked with Malema when he was still in the ANC and he had struck her as someone who couldn’t keep secrets.
The Marikana massacre of 2012, when 34 striking mineworkers were gunned down by police, was carried out to “destroy the ANC”, according to Dlamini, who condemned the torching of more than 20 schools in Vuwani, Limpopo, over municipal demarcation protests.
The Women’s League also expressed disappointment in the party’s military veterans for joining the chorus of those calling for Zuma to step down for breaching his oath of office.
League secretary-general Meokgo Matuba said they would defend the ANC with their all. “Let’s put our differences aside and defend the ANC.”
A symbolic moment at the event was when candles were lit, raised high and white doves set free following a prayer service.
Political Bureau