Ex-mayor lashes ANC leaders
FORMER eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo yesterday criticised the ANC leadership for its arrogance, which “has cost the party at least three major metros” in the recent local government elections.
He was speaking at the funeral of SACP member Nontsikelelo Blose who was murdered last week. She was laid to rest yesterday in Inchanga.
Also laid to rest yesterday was ANC member Xolani Ngcobo, who was attacked and killed by rioting community members following Blose’s murder.
The two ceremonies took place at the same time just kilometres apart following the collapse of attempts last week to organise a joint event.
Amid a large police presence, they were concluded without any incident reported.
Several other speakers also bemoaned the factionalism that was threatening to tear the alliance apart.
While leaders tried to be conciliatory, saying the fight was not between the SACP and ANC, their speeches made it clear that divisions run deep.
Indicative of this was that the SACP at national level has called for an early consultative conference for the ANC to do an introspection.
“Today, the ANC has lost metros because of the arrogance of the current leadership that does not want to listen, “Nxumalo told hundreds of largely SACP members at Blose’s funeral.
The ANC lost Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg to DA-led alliances.
“This was not because the DA improved, it was because ANC voters were unhappy and decided to stay away,” said Nxumalo.
He said gate-keeping, internal conflicts and factionalism were destroying the party.
“When we went to Mangaung, we had 1.3 million members; recently, there are only 700 000 members,” he said.
Nxumalo detailed how the problems in Inchanga began.
“It was at the branch general meeting in October 2014.
“I was at that meeting. Some comrades who were part of the meeting and were credited had signed in.
“They went across the road to buy food and were locked out by the police,” he said.
Even food served at that meeting was allegedly used as a weapon.
“The food was served according to which ‘colour you were’.”
He said since the meeting, the area had been on a downward spiral. Many SACP members who wanted to take up ANC membership were still being sidelined.
He said it was also important that the ANC and the police investigate who was behind the killings, comparing them to the infamous killings in Richmond in the 1990s.
“We might have our own Sifiso Nkabinde,” he said.
ANC leader in Ethekwini Region Bheki Ntuli, who attended Ngcobo’s funeral, told The Mercury yesterday that a peace committee that had been set up to deal with the crisis in the area.
He reiterated the party’s stance on independent candidates, saying those who competed as independents had fired themselves from the organisation.
SACP member and Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi said yesterday that much of the state had been captured.
“These conflicts should be dealt with by the ANC; if the ANC claims to be the leader of the alliance, it should therefore lead.
“It’s no more about service delivery, it is now about tenders and money,” he said.
The steady decline in party numbers over the years was a clear sign there was a possibility the party would not be coming back in 2019.
“In 2019, we can kiss the revolution goodbye.
“People are no longer interested in boasting about the glory of the past, they want to know what you will do for them now.”
He said the SACP would be calling for an urgent consultative process.