Duarte takes swipe at factions

ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte says factionalism was a foreign phenomenon that she only got to know about in 1999.

Duarte was delivering the memorial lecture in honour of Albertina Sisulu to hundreds of women in Ngcobo on Tuesday. Ngcobo was home to struggle veterans Walter and Albertina Sisulu.

Duarte said factionalism was eating away at the ruling party as several ANC regions in the province prepared for their elective meetings.

Slates of would-be leaders continued to divide ANC members.

Similar elective meetings were held in Alfred Nzo and Chris Hani last week and will be held in Sarah Baartman on Thursday.

“We were never taught to divide ourselves. We were taught to unite and to have a common goal which was to liberate our people,” Duarte said.

Duarte, who worked with Albertina Sisulu from 1979 repeated the lesson she had learnt from the icon, that leadership races had to be informed by the need to serve the people and not informed by the need to control resources.

She said the SA economy was struggling to grow while women continue to be victims of domestic violence.

“Women are sufferers from domestic violence as the men struggle to deal with [economic] pressure,” said Duarte. Duarte said there was a need for women to unite and make sure that their voice was louder and stronger.