ANC leadership divisive

I DID not think ANC members, particularly senior members including the president, could be so negligent about the state of the organisation. Just recently, in the January 8 statement the president emphasised the importance of unity in the ANC. A week later he tells us there is no tradition in the ANC of a deputy president ascending to become president. This comes in the wake of an ANC Women’s League pronouncement on their preferred candidate to lead the organisation.

Essentially the president, ANCWL and ANC Youth League concur there is no tradition of a deputy becoming a president – but this is malicious, opportunistic and divisive.

Consistency with the key message of the January 8 statement – unity in the organisation – requires that such divisive comments and decisions should be avoided. If everyone was genuinely in the interests of ANC unity, there would have been no argument about who should take over from Jacob Zuma. The tradition and practice is there for all to see.

This was, and still is, an opportunity to stabilise this bleeding organisation ahead of 2019 elections, but it is clear that comrades do not care about the movement – they want positions in government.

If members still love the ANC they will do the right thing and elect Cyril Ramaphosa to take over as president and choose a woman as his deputy.

The ANCWL had an opportunity at Mangaung to lobby for a woman deputy president, preparing her to smoothly take over from JZ this year. It is too late now when there is already a deputy president in the wings, to start talking about a woman president.

The most logical thing would be to advocate for a woman deputy who could smoothly take over from Ramaphosa when his term ends.

A challenge is that the women being looked at now will be too old when it is time to succeed Ramaphosa, particularly if he goes for two terms.

It would have been good to find a younger woman with fresh ideas aged between 40 and 55 to take over from Ramaphosa. Unfortunately there is not enough quality in the organisation.

This generation of leadership really needs to hand over the baton to younger people but the succession planning – ie grooming future leaders – leaves much to be desired. Look no further than Oros, the ANCYL president, and ask yourself if we are on the right track in regard to the development of future leaders. — Ziphilele Mngcongo, East London

WITH his shower mentality approach, President Jacob Zuma wants to retain power through having his ex-wife replace him as president.

For me he is no paragon of virtue. Integrity is lacking in both government and the private sector, hence the lack of care for ordinary people and the increase of violence and crime.

Unless the people’s mind-set is changed and societal values are restored through ethical leadership, our country will have reached the stage of demise in terms of growth.

I feel it is apposite to tell all South Africans that we need to wake up. South Africans must think of what is best for South Africa. Our resources are abundant and could carry us into a better future.

Let us move away from the tactics of protecting and capturing. May the Almighty God help us and guide us in choosing real leaders.

I have no problem with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, but the shower mentality slant nullifies her credentials. — Fezile Potwana, Mount Frere