Johannesburg - Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has cautioned her “opportunistic” ANC about the negative implications of turning government events into ruling-party bashes.
However, Mokonyane, who also serves as the ANC’s head of elections and campaigns, said the party never planned to capture government events and turn them into ANC occasions.
The party was criticised after thousands of supporters, decked out in ANC regalia, attended Freedom Day celebrations in Giyani, Limpopo, last month.
The National Day of Prayer for Unity, addressed by President Jacob Zuma in Durban on Sunday, also saw some in attendance proudly wearing ANC colours.
Speaking at an ANC media breakfast with Ekurhuleni mayor Mondli Gungubele in Johannesburg on Monday, Mokonyane blamed those incidents on people wanting to demonstrate their political affiliation, as much as they were “an expression of the ANC’s popularity”.
“My take is, yes, we must be circumspect. We must be sensitive when people are raising the perceptions. But at some point we must also appreciate the dominance and the presence of the ANC in any community,” she said.
“At some point, we mustn’t exaggerate the issue about a takeover (of government events by the ANC). I agree that there is no need to play ANC CDs at a government event. Regarding the singing of ANC songs, I don’t know how we are going to stop spontaneity.
The minister also weighed in on reports of KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu’s resignation, which would be followed by a major reshuffle. She said anything that had the potential to divide the party “does worry me, and I’m not the only one”.
The ANC has voiced concern about sporadic violence, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, associated with the list process where candidates’ names were put down for the municipal elections.
“That is quite worrisome. People are getting killed. Comrades are getting shot in a very strange manner.
“We urge law enforcement agencies to investigate these issues, irrespective of who is implicated,” said Mokonyane.
ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the party was expected to finalise its candidate lists for the elections this week.
The Star