ANC veteran calls for quality delegates
ANC veteran Joel Netshitenzhe urged branches in Nelson Mandela Bay to elect quality delegates for the national ANC conference in December.
With about two months left before thousands of delegates gather in Johannesburg to elect a new top six for the ruling party, Netshitenzhe, who is also a national executive committee member, warned branches to elect delegates who would contribute to policy discussion rather than just be “voting cattle”.
Netshitenzhe addressed a packed chamber in another edition of the Robert Matji Political School at Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale campus on Saturday.
“For those who are going to the conference, we need to keep in mind the policy decisions and leadership elected there might determine if the ANC continues to pursue the national democratic revolution,” he said.
“The experience we have had with the past two conferences, delegates just attended to elect the top six and leave.
“But disciplined members stay put and discuss important policies – the delegates you elect must not be voting cattle,” Netshitenzhe said.
The lecture was titled “Oliver Tambo – The Evolution of the ANC Strategies and Tactics”. Netshitenzhe also urged those present to engage in introspection to establish how the party lost control of the metro in last year’s local government elections.
“We need to ask why a region that has a fountain of history has had this terrible experience in an election.
“The people have made their judgment and the people are never wrong, there is something they have seen that is wrong with us and therefore it is our responsibility to correct that,” he said.
Commenting on the recent cabinet reshuffle, he said it was a concern and led to questions of whether the ANC was still a strategic centre of power.
Disciplined members stay put and discuss important policies, the delegates you elect must not be voting cattle