Frank Chikane, the former director-general in the Presidency during the Thabo Mbeki era, has called for an end to the corruption and criminality in the government which is putting the future of the country at risk.
Chikane, who has written a book giving a riveting behind-the-scenes account of the removal of Mbeki as the president in 2008, made this plea in Durban on Thursday in an address hosted by the Diakonia Council of Churches.
As secretary of the cabinet and head of the Presidency, Chikane had been responsible for managing the transition from Mbeki to Kgalema Motlanthe and then Jacob Zuma.
Chikane said the country was in a “downturn”, with those in leadership now more concerned about themselves than the society SA aspired to, giving rise to corruption and moral decline.
Describing himself as a loyal member of the ANC, he said it was time for corrupt officials to “clean” themselves up or they would plunge the country into a risky situation.
Chikane rejected suggestions that the ANC was corrupt and rotten, saying there were a few corrupt people, but this was not the entire ANC.
He maintained that all ANC members knew they should be against corruption. “It is the policy of the ANC,” he added.
“If those in government cannot do it, the movement outside government must do it. The party should say ‘we are in a critical situation now, you are now risking the country’.
“There are many people who are not rotten in the ANC. We must be able to say that those who are corrupt should go,” said Chikane.
He was at pains to point out that he was not an enemy of the ANC, saying the party remained a very powerful movement that needed to “sort itself out”.
Chikane said what was happening should be very painful to those who had made sacrifices for this country to be freed.
“We all have a task to ensure this country is saved from syndicates. We must make sure that the bush is removed so that syndicates are exposed.”
He also rejected suggestions that he was now talking against corruption because Zuma was in power, saying he had done so before.
“During the era of Mandela and Mbeki I wrote a letter expressing my discomfort at corruption.
“Unfortunately I had that letter classified, but I did raise my concerns.”
Chikane said there was a need go back to the drawing board and seek solutions to the current problems.
“We must say that if we were prepared to die to get rid of apartheid we must also be prepared to die to get rid of syndicates and criminals who are threatening to take the country down with them.”