Johannesburg - Several ANC veterans have indicated that they would still back the party ahead of the general elections, despite their campaign against those who have made it into the list the party’s representatives while implicated in wrongdoing.
The party’s stalwarts, including former ANC deputy secretary general Cheryl Carolus, were speaking at the 2nd anniversary of the death of struggle and ANC stalwart Ahmed Kathrada in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Carolus said the veterans wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to know that he had people within the country who were backing him if he was committed to renew the ANC and the country.
“He cannot do it with a slender majority. Let us get over ourselves and understand that it is not just his job. It is everyone’s job to ensure that the renewal in the ANC that has started and brought us all these people who are being exposed and institutions that are now being strengthened continues,” Carolus said.
She said there were still state-owned entities that were still dogged by crisis after crisis because of poor governance and persistent looting.
“We need to reactivate the networks against state capture so that we do not become complacent like once before. We must make our voices heard. We cannot be forced to accept people in leadership positions with “smallanyana” skeletons in the cupboards or braai packs from questionable sources in their freezers,” she said.
Kathrada’s widow and former public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan said Ramaphosa’s task was almost impossible and veterans had to amplify the voices of those who were genuinely working on renewal within the ANC.
“We have to position ourselves behind the progressive forces. Those people who are on lists must know that they should not be there,” Hogan said.
Kathrada’s fellow Rivonia trialist Andrew Mlangeni said he hoped Kathrada was preparing an ANC branch for him and others for when they join him.