Top ANC man slams leaders who abuse positions

Zweli Mkhize speaking at the funeral of struggle veteran Mewa Ramgobin in Verulam on Sunday. Picture: @MYANC

Zweli Mkhize speaking at the funeral of struggle veteran Mewa Ramgobin in Verulam on Sunday. Picture: @MYANC

Published Oct 24, 2016

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Durban - As the state capture claims and prosecution of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan have plunged the ANC into perhaps its biggest crisis since the advent of democracy, the party’s treasurer-general on Sunday called on the ruling party to strengthen its resolve to rid its ranks of corrupt people.

Zweli Mkhize, speaking at the funeral of struggle veteran Mewa Ramgobin in Verulam on Sunday, used the occasion to take a swipe at leaders who looked after themselves rather than serving the people.

Mkhize, a former premier of KwaZulu-Natal, was among a number of party big guns and other leaders, including Gordhan, former communication minister Yunus Carrim, Ramgobin’s fellow activist Paul David, ANC KZN chairman Sihle Zikalala, ANC regional chairman Zandile Gumede, Public Works MEC Ravi Pillay and others, who paid their respects to Ramgobin.

“Comrade Mewa’s departure strengthens our resolve to take forward the struggle and reinforce our determination to rid our ranks of people who are corrupt, people who are involved in fraud, people who disrupt our movement’s political structures for their gain and abuse their positions,” Mkhize said.

While he did not mention names or discuss the pending criminal charges against Gordhan and former Sars employees, Mkhize said the country had had “enough of wrong examples”.

Gordhan is being prosecuted for approving the early retirement and a R1.1 million top-up payment for Sars deputy commissioner, Ivan Pillay, and re-hiring him as a consultant.

The charges against Gordhan are seen in some quarters as a politically-motivated attack on him for opposing dealings by the Gupta business family, which has close ties to President Zuma.

Commenting to the media on earlier statements by the ANC chief whip in Parliament, Jackson Mthembu, that the NEC should resign in the wake of the Gordhan charges, Mkhize said Mthembu’s view was not new because it had been part of the reflection on the electoral performance meeting.

In that meeting, Mkhize said the ANC took collective responsibility.

“What comrade Mthembu raised was actually discussed fully at the meeting, and at the end the ANC took a particular view on how we take matters forward,” Mkhize said on the sidelines of Ramgobin’s funeral.

Ramgobin, who died aged 83, cut his political teeth in the Natal Indian Congress in the 1950s and went on to serve on the National Union of Students in the 1960s.

His activism led to him being served with banning orders and house arrests for 17 years.

Imthian Ramgobin, the veteran’s son, described his father as a wonderful man and a friend for whom he had the greatest respect.

“He taught me about hard work. He was generous and always willing to help,” he said.

Gordhan described Ramgobin as someone who was never a sell-out despite the banning orders.

“He remained loyal. He was never short of ideas,” he said, adding that he had taught them what it was to be a congress activist.

Mkhize said: “He was a fighter for justice, for democracy, for non-racism and non-sexism.”

Also speaking at the funeral, Zikalala paid a glowing tribute to Ramgobin, who left his modest life and joined the liberation struggle.

“His revolutionary conscience would not allow him to live in the island of comfort while surrounded by a sea of poverty. Not many today listen to their consciences as Comrade Mewa did,” he said.

Zikalala also said if Ramgobin was to be emulated, there should be no room for moral relativism.

“If something is wrong, it is wrong irrespective of whether an error has been committed by a comrade or not,” he said.

Daily News

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