KZN ANC condemns lobbying

Sihle Zikalala, Provincial secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu

Sihle Zikalala, Provincial secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu

Published Jun 18, 2012

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ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Sihle Zikalala on Monday condemned lobbying for positions through the use of songs and T-shirts, and said this should be punished.

“The issue of songs, paraphernalia should be stopped, whether in favour (of a candidate) or you denigrate (someone),” Zikalala said in Durban.

He was addressing reporters during the party's provincial policy meeting, attended by more than 500 delegates.

He said disciplinary action should be taken against anyone found campaigning for someone using songs or T-shirts. Such paraphernalia should instead be used to express support for the presidents of the African National Congress and the “revolution”.

Zikalala also called for ANC's disciplinary processes to be preserved by preventing the use of lawyers.

“We have seen situations whereby disciplinary processes of the ANC are reduced into a legal process, where people will want to derail processes through the use of lawyers.”

The ANC's constitution allowed for someone accused of wrongdoing to be represented by any other party member.

“There is a new tendency in South Africa where if you have money you think you can do anything. Not in the ANC. The use of lawyers must not undermine the disciplinary process of the organisation.”

Zikalala said some people had tried to compare the country's Constitution to the ANC's.

“No one has escaped the disciplinary processes through the use of lawyers so far, but it does create a possibility that people will use their legal experiences to get some of their friends off the hook, (and) therefore escape the disciplinary process.”

Speaking on resolutions proposed in KwaZulu-Natal during the meeting, he said education had to be regarded as an essential service.

“Teaching should be regarded as one of the essential services and therefore must be classified as such.”

The ANC would speak to the SA Democratic Teachers' Union about this, he said. Other proposals included a review of the demarcation process and the scrapping of labour brokers. - Sapa

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