Johannesburg - ANC Gauteng chairperson Paul Mashatile has warned that the ruling party is in crisis and this was caused by its present leadership.
"Unfortunately, things have gone horribly wrong. The ANC is perceived as arrogant, it embraces corruption, and is mediocre," he told the ANC Gauteng policy conference in Irene, Pretoria, on Friday night.
But while the ANC was facing challenges, he said they were not insurmountable. “The ANC has faced challenges before. We survived because we listened; we are not in denial.”
Mashatile said they welcomed the state capture inquiry as this would “help the accused to clear their names”.
He also called on the ANC to return to its values and to reclaim its standing as a leader in society, and wanted to call on other like-minded organisations that shared similar values to do the same.
The key speaker, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, called for unity within the party. “Through unity we are very, very strong,” he said, adding that he was concerned about the health of the organisation at present.
The tripartite alliance, he said, was in disarray.
Mantashe said the members of the ANC had to elect leadership that would signal that the looting is over.
He also said that it was a myth that President Jacob Zuma’s removal would solve the problem. It would divide the ANC as he still has support, he said.