Cape Town - The ANC Youth League says it is “disgusted by the unruly and disruptive character” displayed by Sipho Pityana at the funeral of Makhenkesi Stofile at Fort Hare University.
During his 30-minute speech at the funeral on Thursday, Pityana, an ANC veteran and former director-general of foreign affairs, lashed Zuma and urged him to step aside.
“If the president was here I would have asked him as my leader, I would have begged him, I would have prayed, saying: My big brother, Msholozi, hand over the reins!’
“The next battle cannot be led by a leader who has humiliated our organisation and undermined everything that we represent.”
On Friday the ANCYL said: “We expect former leaders of our government and structures to allow those that are currently in charge and elected a space to govern and lead.
“In a case of any advice being ... given, we expect such to be done in a comradely and respectful manner. These comrades, who chose a funeral service to vent their anger and frustration, should have known better that African value systems and customs do not allow this no matter how one seeks to please his fellow counter-revolutionaries.
“To have been with us and served in our ranks does not entitle anyone to behave in a counter-revolutionary manner, worse on an occasion to honour and bid farewell to one of our greatest icons,” the ANCYL said in a statement.
“We never expected Sipho Pityana to stoop so low... If Sipho Pityana genuinely suspects anyone of contravening the law, he should report such to law enforcement agencies. If he feels someone is acting outside of the ANC constitution, he should raise such with the ANC structures provided for in the ANC constitution.”
Pityana said he had prepared his speech anticipating that Zuma would attend the funeral.
He said Zuma had embarrassed the ANC by failing in his constitutional duty. He also blamed the entire ANC national executive committee for the dismal performance during the local government elections, in which it lost three metros to the DA.
Responding to the blistering attack at the funeral of the former Eastern Cape premier and cabinet minister, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said they could not take what was said at the funeral of an ANC member as a basis to change policies.
Questioned about the call for the party to disband its national leadership for an early congress, Mantashe said although the ANC did not formulate its policies out of speeches delivered at funerals, its ranks would discuss Pityana’s call.
Mantashe, who was at the funeral, said that other speakers had corroborated what Pityana had said.
“Our responsibility is to take their views for discussion in the organisation,” said Mantashe.
Talking directly to Mantashe, Pityana said that for the party to take collective responsibility for the election outcome, its leaders should also step down.
“People who take collective responsibility fall on their swords.
“So the leadership that got us into the crisis that we are in must also accept that it is not capable of launching us in a new battle to make sure that this organisation survives,” he said.
“We say we are a party that is against corruption, and yet at every moment we seem to be falling over each other to steal from the poor.”
Pityana said unlike Zuma, Stofile was an exemplary leader while he was the Eastern Cape premier, who did not manipulate government structures to defend himself from corruption charges.
He said when Stofile was accused of corruption, he followed judicial processes to clear his name.
“He was accused of corruption, a commission of inquiry was appointed. He did not play the avoidance game. He submitted himself to public scrutiny.
“When it made an unfavourable finding against him he did not cast aspersions against it, he did not insult the judiciary. He took the matter on judicial review and cleared his name.”
Pityana said Zuma had acted in a manner contrary to Stofile’s by building his Nkandla “palace in a sea of poverty”.
He said Zuma had insulted the judiciary and turned against Public Protector Thuli Mandonsela.
The ANC had ceded its moral high ground, while looking for scapegoats outside itself, saying that “there are people who do not like us, there are people who are attacking us, and there are people reporting negatively”.
He said the arrogance in the ANC had cost it support.
“In 2004 we had 69% of the electorate, in 2016 we had 54. Unless drastic steps are taken today, in 2019 we are going to get less than 40%,” he said.
He said an early conference would help the wounded party to heal only if its delegates would go through lifestyle audits to elect younger leaders.
“We don’t want thieves to elect us other leaders after this. It is about time those among us who are aged spend their time playing with their grandchildren,” he said.
He concluded by appealing to former comrades who left to join Cope, the EFF and United Front.
“Comrades, just come back and fight. This battle is not over.”
Mantashe said the party would not take action against Pityana for addressing the party in public about its challenges, instead of raising them internally.
“Pityana as a member of the ANC was speaking at a funeral of another member of the ANC. He spoke at a funeral of a comrade and a colleague,” said Mantashe.
IOL and The Mercury