NEC member warns not to pretend all is well in ANC

ANC leaders and members who pretend as if “all is well” within the party are the “real enemies” of the revolution, said ANC national executive committee member Fikile Xasa in East London yesterday.

Xasa was speaking at the party’s provincial policy conference where proposals, from the Eastern Cape perspective, aimed at “renewing” the ANC were discussed.

Xasa, who is also the Eastern Cape MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, launched a scathing attack on the Gupta family for interfering in how the South African government was run.

“The people of South Africa voted for the ANC and not the Gupta family. We will always speak out on the influence of the Gupta family in our affairs, even if some among us are not comfortable with that. Gupta family is associated with corruption and we know how the ANC is losing out on support because of corruption,” said Xasa.

“If we are not honest on discussions about the challenges facing the ANC and the country, that will be a huge problem for our party. There is restlessness across the country and within the ANC, but funnily enough there are people who want us to pretend as if nothing is going wrong in our movement.”

Xasa said people were pulling their support from the ANC because of the conduct of some of its leaders.

“The masses are not happy about the leaders of the ANC. What has been coming out, of which I am confirming, is that the ANC has got leaders who do not care and are displaying arrogance.

“We’ve got a problem of leaders who are not selfless, who place their individual interests, and that of their friends, before the interests of the people.”

Xasa also appealed to ANC leaders to keep the door open for discussions with its veterans. “The ANC has got veterans and we need to listen to them… We need to revolt against leaders who insult our veterans,” he said.