Struggle not over, says Mkhize
ANC still has much work to do
ANC NATIONAL executive committee (NEC) member Zweli Mkhize yesterday said plenty of work remained to be done in emancipating those in impoverished areas across the country,
Speaking at the same memorial lecture, ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Dr Zweli Mkhize said that on many fronts the struggle was not over for the ruling party. “The struggle is not over. “The struggle will not be over so long as our communities are still ravaged by the triple challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty.
“Our struggle will not be over so long as our youth are prisoners of drugs and substance abuse, criminality, gender-based violence, HIV/Aids and other diseases,” Mkhize said.
He was speaking at the Vuyani Nkosi memorial lecture in Chesterville, Durban, yesterday.
In an apparent reference to the ruling party’s internal divisions in the eThekwini region, Mkhize pleaded with members to emulate the late Nkosi and thrive for unity.
Nkosi, an ANC freedom fighter, was assassinated 20 years ago. He was the son of former Premier Willies Mchunu who was born before he married Nkosi’s mother, Dudu Mchunu, hence he kept the Nkosi surname.
Meanwhile, ANC provincial deputy chairman and former MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Mike Mabuyakhulu said the DA would not last for long in running the City of Tshwane.
He maintained that the opposition party’s recent high court victory that re-installed Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa, after he was ousted on last week would not stay the test of time.
Mabuyakhulu also pleaded with ANC members to use the opportunity to recruit new members, including from “crumbling parties” like the DA.
He said despite attempts by the DA to cling to Tshwane, their defeat first in the City of Johannesburg and later in Tshwane was a sign that the opposition was falling apart.
Mabuyakhulu also took a swipe at the party saying they would never lead people through courts.“You see comrades, there are parties that are falling apart,
“One of the parties is crumbling so much that it has lost (the city of) Johannesburg. It started in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“Then they lost Johannesburg and now they have lost Tshwane,” he said.
He added: “In as much as they have still gone to court, they will not be able to keep Tshwane because there is no political party that was ever able to lead people by using courts. None.
“You can never lead people through court decisions.”
Touching on the mission of the ANC, Mabuyakhulu said the party’s work was far from being accomplished.
There were still several challenges it needed to deal with in the country.