ANC will remain invincible – Zuma
LIKE a matured wine vintage, the ANC only gets better with time and will rule South Africa forever, says President Jacob Zuma.
The ANC also has the ancestors and God on its side and can’t be defeated as a result, said Zuma.
Zuma was addressing thousands of supporters in a packed OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha yesterday, as the party celebrated 103 years since its formation on January 8, 1912.
The day culminated in the mini-rally in Khayelitsha after Zuma’s charm offensive and mobilisation drive in KwaLanga and Mitchells Plain earlier in the day.
The rally was part of the ANC’s week-long mobilisation drive to get supporters to Cape Town Stadium for tomorrow’s celebration.
ANC leaders promised to pack Cape Town Stadium to capacity and to invade the nearby V&A Waterfront should there be no space to accommodate everyone in the stadium.
“ANC has policies that solve the problems facing our people. And that’s the reason why the ANC is growing over time.
“It’s like what people who drink alcohol say when they talk about wine. As time passes the wine matures and becomes very tasty,” Zuma said to loud applause and laughter.
He said the ANC was not formed by angry and disgruntled people who were expelled from the party.
“When you leave the ANC with anger, I’m telling you, you will feel the cold, it’s cold outside the ANC. It was built by people as an answer to the national challenge.
“Other parties make a lot of noise. Other parties are dying in front of us and others come with noise,” said Zuma, who addressed the crowd in isiZulu and isiXhosa.
He said people were quick to forget and refused to learn from history when they formed breakaway parties.
“How many parties have failed? The ANC has ancestors and God on its side. When the party was born there were priests. No movement was born in this way. With God on our side, who can defeat us?
“It’s lonely, you feel alone like an orphan. It’s because it’s nice in the ANC. When you leave the ANC, even the ancestors turn their backs on you. You will have bad luck.”
Zuma also gave the crowd a brief lesson in history and how the ANC united black South Africans against colonialism and apartheid.
“Let’s unite so that we can win. There is even a song that says Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho come together. The ANC was built on unity and we agreed that we have to fight for ourselves because no will help us,” said Zuma.
Zuma also touched on the Freedom Charter, which turns 60 this year.
“We will preach the Freedom Charter for the whole year to show the people who say we have abandoned it,” said Zuma.
He continued his rhetoric, saying the DA-run Western Cape was the only part of the country that was not yet liberated and the party will wrest control from the DA in Cape Town next year.
ANC Dullah Omar region (Cape Town) chairman Xolani Sotashe said they have one message for Western Cape Premier Helen Zille. “Our message to Zille is that we will take over the Waterfront if we have to,” said Sotashe.
Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi, in his capacity as SACP deputy chairman, had a similar message for Zille.
“Zille won’t tell us what to do (at the stadium). Phuma Zille, phuma (out with Zille),” said Nxesi.
Western Cape ANC chairman Marius Fransman said some of the requirements to use Cape Town Stadium were just an attempt to “derail the use of the stadium” for the celebrations.