Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed on Tuesday night, to ANC councillor candidates to work hard and not be involved in corrupt activities after signing a pledge to serve better.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the ANC’s local government candidates’ roll call and affirmation of pledge at the Alberton Civic Centre in Ekurhuleni before next month’s municipal polls.
He said by signing the pledge they were making commitments to the communities they will represent.
“They have taken a pledge to end corruption, fraud and patronage, no matter what form it takes and no matter who is involved.
“We know that there are areas where we have disappointed them (voters), where services have not been delivered, where corruption and mismanagement have taken hold, where infrastructure has not been properly maintained,” Ramaphosa said.
He said despite disappointments since the ANC won the 2019 national and provincial elections and even in the midst of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, his administration has made clear and demonstrable progress in implementing its mandate.
”We have confronted corruption and state capture. We have rebuilt public institutions and started to revitalise state-owned enterprises,” Ramaphosa said.
According to Ramaphosa, the ANC has demonstrated that it will not stand for wrongdoing, no matter who is involved.
“We will not protect any ANC leader, public representative or member who faces allegations of corruption or other serious offences. The law must take its course and justice must be done in South Africa,” he said.
Ramaphosa said though there will be days when the tasks of renewal in the party will be difficult, when correcting its mistakes may be painful, it is determined to restore the movement and rebuild the country.
He said ANC councillors will work together individually and collectively to fix municipal finances and systems, improve billing and revenue collection and ensure that service providers – both big and small – are paid, and that council budgets are spent wisely.
The ANC’s 9 405 candidates across the country undertook to abide by its aims and objectives and declared that they are members voluntarily without motives of material advantage or personal gain.
They also undertook to defend the unity and integrity of the ANC, its principles and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism.
Political Bureau