Unite against graft, and report it, urges Mkhize
ANC national executive committee member Zweli Mkhize has called on South Africans to unite against corruption and report such acts whenever they are seen.
Addressing an ANC election manifesto consultative forum in Phoenix, north of Durban yesterday, Mkhize said the ruling party was strongly against corruption and fraud.
“When we find it (corruption) we must deal with it. Today there is a lot of talk about the problems of corruption, and we must be very clear that the ANC is against corruption, and we must uproot it.
“We want to make sure that there are consequences against those involved and we are quite determined against corruption,” he said.
Prior to the meeting held at Stanmore Secondary School, Mkhize told Independent Media that the resignation of senior party leaders after they were accused of misconduct did not affect the reputation of the ANC.
Mkhize did not mention names, but two senior ANC leaders, former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba resigned from their government positions and from Parliament after they were linked to misconduct.
“When there are steps that need to be taken the ANC has to manage (the situation) each time,” said Mkhize.
The Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister started earlier yesterday by addressing traditional leaders from the eThekwini Metro at the Durban City Hall.
Referring to the Indian community, he said that they should be confident that they were Africans and South Africans as they had played an important role in the fight against colonial and apartheid oppressors.
“The ANC is the home for all South Africans. When the ANC was formed it actually focused on creating non-racialism. We are all South Africans. No one must tell you that you are less of a South African than others,” he said.
He applauded the role of Indian Struggle great Mahatma Gandhi in starting a path that led to the formation of the ANC as a non-racial liberation movement.
“He started the marches when the African communities led by traditional leaders were using spears to fight the colonial government,” Mkhize said.
“Mahatma Gandhi started these marches and after a while the Transvaal Indian Congress was formed, and the Natal Native Congress was formed in 1902 by John Dube. So that is where the whole history of the ANC comes from.”