Johannesburg - Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has laid bare the rot within the ANC, saying the governing party is riddled with corruption, factionalism and bad leadership.
Ramaphosa also called for lifestyle audits to be implemented on the top leadership, saying people hid behind their relatives and companies while perpetrating corrupt acts.
His remarks come as the ANC national leadership is frantically trying to put up a united front ahead of the party's 105th birthday celebrations at Soweto in Joburg on Saturday.
Ironically, this year's January 8 statement, to be held at the 40000-seat Orlando Stadium is themed “Unity in Action”.
Ramaphosa, who was speaking at the 22nd commemoration of the death of SACP leader Joe Slovo at Avalon Cemetery in Soweto on Friday, lashed out at his colleagues who thought “they knew it all”.
He said Slovo, whom he described as a great thinker and prolific writer, was, unlike today's leaders, always keen to gain insight from the views of others.
“Today we have leaders who always stand up on platforms and say a whole lot of things but do exactly the opposite of what they are saying. Joe Slovo was not that type of leader. He never pretended he knew everything,” he said.
The deputy president, who is among the frontrunners to succeed President Jacob Zuma as ANC leader later this year, described good leaders as those who listen to the masses and did not make “reckless and outrageous statements”.
“Good leaders are those who take advice, who take counsel; who when issues are raised with them take heed and pay attention. Bad leaders don’t listen. Bad leaders think they know it all. They think they know all the answers.
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“In our movement today, we have leaders who think they know it all, and the values of our movement require leaders should be humble. Leaders should listen and Joe Slovo was the epitome of just that,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa called on the SACP to elect a leadership that would prepare the ANC for the 2019 national elections, and not focus on the ANC's factional succession battle.
He also called for Slovo's memory to be honoured through the strengthening of the ANC and the ruling alliance “by building branches that are rooted in the communities they serve, branches that will not have gatekeepers, branches that will not be captured, branches that will not be bought by money because a new bad tendency has come into our movement today. Money is now able to buy votes.”
Reiterating his call for an end to factionalism, Ramaphosa said: “Our movement is riddled with factions and even leaders are leaders of factions.”
Patronage and the abuse of public resources also needed to be nipped in the bud, he said.
“This organisation is very priceless. Those who may want to sell the ANC or a portion of it, just know that the ANC is not for sale.”
Ramaphosa later visited Tembisa, in Ekurhuleni, and received a resounding welcome when he addressed ANC supporters at a mini-rally at Winnie Mandela section.
#ANCPresident Zuma and #ANCDeputyPresident cde Cyril Ramaphosa serve #ANC105 cake to the elders #UnityInAction #WeAreANC pic.twitter.com/VTwHUiKyMo
— #ANC105 (@MYANC) January 6, 2017
Ramaphosa was accompanied by Gauteng Premier David Makhura as well as regional and branch members. Mayor Mzwandile Masina was conspicuous by his absence.
In his address, Ramaphosa praised Makhura, saying he was a hard worker who was dedicated to serving the province’s people. He again warned those intent on buying votes from branch members.
“Tell them that the ANC is not for sale.”
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