ANC delegates will choose wisely in December, Ramaphosa says
President Cyril Ramaphosa says he has no doubt the ANC’S delegates will choose wisely when they elect leaders at the party’s 55th national conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, in December.
Ramaphosa was speaking in Debe, near Qonce, on Sunday during the ANC’S Letsema campaign for the Amathole region. The campaign is part of the party’s drive to accelerate service delivery in the provinces.
His first stop was Mngqesha Great Place, where he talked with the Amarharhabe royal family for three hours.
Next he went to Chief Jongumsobomvu Maqoma’s grave at Ntaba kandoda, near Keiskammahoek, to lay a wreath.
Maqoma was a Xhosa warrior who led several frontier wars. He died on Robben Island a captive almost 150 years ago.
Ramaphosa said ANC members had a duty to scrutinise leaders they elected and not do that based on patronage. He is confident of victory and ready to take SA “to a higher level”.
“I am confident the ANC will be more united and renewed after the conference. We must emerge united if we are to win elections in 2024.
“Let us go to the conference and debate policies of the ANC. At branch general meetings, please elect good leaders who will represent your interests and not people who will disappear and go drinking.
“After that conference, let us have a good balance on gender. Let us have a 50% gender representation, including having young people in the ANC national executive committee.
“We need a renewed and united ANC,” he said.
Ramaphosa said delegates going to the national conference, had a duty to elect leaders who were not corrupt. “ANC members going to the conference are the ones who decide with their leadership. They are the final arbiters. I cannot decide for them.
They will decide, like they did in 2017. Let us be fair to them and leave this to them. They are wiser and they know better than all of us put together,” he said.
He called on ANC leaders to be involved in the affairs of SA citizens. “The branches of the ANC must come alive always, not only during conference period. Let us strengthen our branches and elect the leaders we trust. Let us not elect leaders who are corrupt.
“If we have a weak ANC then we have a weak government. We need a strong ANC.
“We know our people are poor. People are unemployed.
“As the Anc-led government we know the challenges the people face. We are doing everything we can to create jobs.
“The corrupt people are now being arrested. Let us build a capable state in all spheres of government. Let us professionalise the civil service by employing trained and skilled people,” he said.
In Kwazulu-natal on Saturday at the coronation of Zulu King Misuzulu kazwelithini, Ramaphosa said he had time to interact with ANC leaders.
“There was no problem. I saw former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. We were happy, with no issues among us. There should not be issues among us. If there are any, let them be discussed internally,” Ramaphosa said.
The president said he spent three hours with Amarharhabe royals.
“It [was] here in the Eastern Cape. I visited the royal house of Amarharhabe and I spent a great deal of time with them. We discussed their ambitions to be a developmental [monarchy]. I was impressed with their focus on developmental issues. I will come back to the Rharhabe kingdom to hand over a certificate to King Jonguxolo Vululwandle Sandile. The king is developmental in his approach and I am happy with that,” he said.
Of his visit to Maqoma’s grave, Ramaphosa said: “I am so happy to be here. I am so encouraged and proud of Chief Maqoma’s role in fighting for our country.
“I feel empowered for being here on the grave. I will come again here next year to celebrate [Chief Maqoma’s] 150th death anniversary,” he said.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said Letsema was a great platform for the ANC to interact with ordinary people. “It gives the ANC an opportunity to hear and respond to issues facing people, especially service delivery issues,” said Ngcukayitobi.
Ramaphosa was accompanied by ANC provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane, who is set to contest the position of deputy president of the party.
ANC PEC member Stella Ndabeni-abrahams reaffirmed the structure’s support for Mabuyane’s bid.
Ramaphosa promised to return to the province to discuss issues facing party members.
If we have a weak ANC then we have a weak government. We need a strong ANC