Zuma takes swipe at critics
ANC president Jacob Zuma used day one of the party’s policy conference to lash out at critics in a 100-minute speech which suggested that he is still in firm control of the party.
This was the first platform where he was able to address ANC branches from all provinces, following an attempt in May by members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to vote him out of office.
This was after a group of veterans, dubbed the ANC101 by the media, wrote an open letter to Zuma, calling on him to resign and also for the NEC to convene a consultative conference a few months before this weekend’s policy conference.
But that was not to be, as Zuma remains at the helm.
Instead he used his political overview to take potshots at his detractors, saying the conference must come up with a plan to deal with ANC leaders who used public platforms to criticise the party.
This, he said, contributed to the ANC’s loss of major metropolitan municipalities during the August 3 local government elections.
Among ANC leaders who have publicly criticised how the party does things was Jackson Mthembu while addressing mourners at a funeral in EL earlier this year.
Other leaders to criticise Zuma’s leadership included former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
“We also need to look at illdiscipline in every form such as public utterances and attacking of the movement by ANC leaders and members who instead of handling matters within the organisation, find constructive solutions.
“Some members and leaders of the ANC have become primary conveyors of negative information about their own movement,” Zuma said. “The challenge for the country is that that these perpetual negative messages have a negative impact on the economy. We need to discuss how we can balance self-criticism to protect the ANC.”
He also took a swipe at the 101 veterans, suggesting that some of the signatures attached to the document by the veterans were forged. He said they had only found “only two or three of the 101” who confirmed signing the petition which called for Zuma’s head.
Zuma said one of the signatories, who is currently in hospital, did not even know his name was on the list.
“We thought we should check with those comrades and we asked them individually if are these your problems, only one two or three wrote back, the other said they did not even know why their names are there,” said Zuma.
Zuma then slammed the veterans who apparently wrote to Mantashe’s office saying they woud not participate in the policy conference as they believed discussions will be of low quality.
“So these are the people who [claim to] have the values and the understanding of the ANC but [do not think the] branches who are here … will be at their level. That is the reason why they can tell you [branches] that ‘your president is wrong, we want him out’.
“They do not come to you to say you elected this fellow and this fellow is messing up [so] we ask you to [remove him].”
It was at this point that delegates burst into song, suggesting that Zuma’s detractors were peddling propaganda.
“Some of them are not as strong as they project themselves … we know them but because we are keeping to the discipline of the organisation we are not engaging them in public,” charged Zuma.
Zuma’s political overview serves as a guide on priority policy issues the conference should be focusing on as discussions kick-off today.
One of the key policy recommendations likely to get thumbs up this weekend is the one on expropriation of land without compensation as well as establishing a state bank.
“The licensing of Post Bank is also important to give it powers so that it can be able to (pay) social grants,” on behalf of the state, Zuma said, repeating this line twice. — zineg@dispatch.co.za / zingisam@dispatch.co.za