Kimberley gives Cyril thumbs up
Ramaphosa gets a rousing welcome
With allegations of philandering hanging over his head, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa showed no signs of strain in Kimberley, Northern Cape, yesterday.
Instead, Ramaphosa was in a jovial mood as he entered the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre where he delivered a keynote address at the ANC Cadres Forum.
Ramaphosa – accompanied by ANC Northern Cape chairman Zamani Saul and former ANC KwaZulu-Natal chairman Senzo Mchunu – arrived to shouts of “my president” from a packed crowd.
The crowd burst into song: “We are ready for Ramaphosa. Don’t cry Cyril, we are going to change things.”
Ramaphosa hailed Mchunu as part of the ANC leadership that would take the party forward, and called on ANC leaders to stop fighting among themselves.
“We should not be spending our time attacking one another. The ANC exists to improve the lives of the people and not the lives of some few families.
“This is the difficult time for the ANC, which is faced by divisions and factionalism. This limits our ability to implement programmes to improve our people’s lives,” he said.
He called for an end to state capture after saying all stateowned enterprises had been captured by a certain family.
Ramaphosa said the ANC elective conference in December
‘‘ The Guptas, not Luthuli House, are now the strategic centre of power
would be an opportunity to renew the party and get rid of bad practices.
Saul, meanwhile, told the crowd that there were similarities between how Zuma was elected ANC president in 2007 and Ramaphosa’s quest for the presidency.
Saul said Zuma was under severe attack in the build-up to the Polokwane conference in 2007. Ramaphosa was now facing similar attacks. but that there were also security risks in changing plans at this late stage.
Ntuli denied that the times had been changed. He was also critical of Khoza’s public
Saul said attempts to block Ramaphosa have turned ugly.
“Once again there are attempts to block a deserving president. The issue of a woman becoming president is a disguised third term (for President Jacob Zuma).”
Saul said Ramaphosa should fight if he wants to be the ANC president.
He said Luthuli House was no longer the strategic centre of power. “The Guptas are now the strategic centre of power. If you want to be deployed to government you must submit your CV to them,” he said.
Saul called for the arrest of the Guptas and their corrupt cronies.
Cosatu’s first deputy president Tyotyo James said Ramaphosa was the last hope to restore respect for the ANC.
He called on ANC delegates going to the elective conference to be vigilant, adding that votes were likely to be bought.
A large crowd painted the centre in ANC colours. The event was also attended by ANC members from Free State province who carried placards reading: “We support Cyril Ramaphosa 100% for president. We are resolute.” comments on the hearing‚ usually posted on Facebook.
“Due to consistent‚ constant and gravely distorted public pronouncements of comrade Makhosi Khoza‚ it is appropri- ate for the ANC to provide correct and factual accounts of the proceedings‚” said Ntuli in a statement.
He said that the disciplinary hearing started an hour later than scheduled‚ at 10am‚ and that Khoza wasn’t there.
Ntuli said Sethene also pointed out that he was instructed on Saturday, “which represented a contradiction from comrade Makhosi Khoza’s formal communication with the Provincial Disciplinary Committee dated 26th July 2017‚ in which she indicated that she was consulting with her representatives”.
He added that it was agreed the hearing would take place on September 17 – but that the party wasn’t entirely happy with the decision. –