Cele lashes failure of leadership

Zuma not spared in harsh criticism

Deputy Agriculture Minister Bheki Cele‚ a member of the ANC national executive committee (NEC)‚ says the NEC has failed party members and South Africans.

Cele was in Umlazi‚ south of Durban on Sunday‚ addressing the ANC zones and branches engaged in a court bid to nullify the November 2015 elective conference for the ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee. He said the ANC leadership under President Jacob Zuma had failed to unite the party or take drastic decision against allegations of corruption‚ thus abdicating these responsibilities to the courts.

Cele said the failure of the ANC NEC to resolve membership and leadership issues facing the party had allowed disgruntled members to approach the courts‚ which had decided many issues that should have been addressed by the ANC leadership.

He slammed Zuma for campaigning for his former wife Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma‚ to succeed him‚ saying: “The ANC is not a royal dynasty and does not have kings who must be succeeded by their queens or princes.

“In 2007 we fought with our limbs to ensure that the ANC tradition that the deputy president succeeds the incumbent is maintained,” Cele said.

Cele said it was strange that Zuma said it was not ANC policy that the deputy succeeded an incumbent.

“Why all of a sudden does he show a desire to be succeeded by a woman‚ his wife? Why didn’t he say women were ready to lead in 2007? Why didn’t he say so ahead of the Mangaung conference in 2012?”

Cele said he would make his preferred candidate known only after the nomination process was opened next month.