Cape Town - Former president Jacob Zuma descended on the Western Cape at the weekend as part of his campaign trail for election as ANC national chairperson at the national conference in Nasrec, in less than a month’s time.
Speaking at an event organised by the ANC Youth League in Philippi on Saturday, Zuma said there was a lot that was going wrong within the ANC that needed to be fixed.
Delegates to the national conference ought to be given a direction on the issues to take up there, he said.
“We should stop saying you will see ahead,” he said. see ahead,” he said.
Zuma noted with concern that the ANC’s hegemony in the country and its position as the leader of society had been undermined because of failure to deliver services to the people.
“It is failing to tackle the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
“Our beloved movement seems again to have shifted away from its ideological posture and the agreed radical policy proposals.”
In an apparent dig at the ANC president, he said President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted in public that he was not elected by the majority of delegates five years ago.
“He had agreed that he bought the position of the president of the ANC.
He admitted this in the commission and only denies the amount of money he paid in buying the position of the ANC president.”
Zuma also said there were allegations levelled against him for being a spy by Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton Mackenzie and Cope leader Mosiuoa Lekota.
“In these two allegations, he has not denied these.”
He said the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA) had written to now suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule requesting that the allegations be investigated.
“It has never been investigated ...We need to have clarity on this issue,” he said.
He noted with concern that the MKMVA, formed to advance the armed Struggle during the Struggle, “has been disbanded without any reason”.
In reference to Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala game farm scandal, Zuma said foreign currencies were allegedly found stuffed in mattresses.
“The law in South Africa does not allow keeping huge amounts at home,” he said, adding that culprits get arrested.
But, he said, the police were not arresting Ramaphosa because they were scared of him.
“It is unbelievable ... How can the people love our organisation when things are like this?” he asked.
Zuma questioned why ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, though he did not mention his name, was holding three positions in the top leadership.
Mashatile is in charge of the secretariat following the suspension of Magashule and the death of former deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte.
“Why should we have one member of the ANC hold three positions, very critical positions: treasurer, secretary-general and deputy secretary-general?
“What does this say? I think we need to deal with these matters in order to cleanse the ANC.”
He also said there were problems that could not be allowed to continue without being addressed at the upcoming conference.
“Should we allow the ANC to die a natural death in front of our eyes or should we defend it?” he asked.
The former president said the ANC belonged to the members, but the members made it look like it belonged to the leaders.
“Are you scared of them? We should stop being scared of these people,” he said.
“We must discuss the truths in the open to fix the ANC,” Zuma said.
Cape Times