Policy conference the correct place to criticise Zuma – Kebby
Maphatsoe says critics must come with facts
Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) president Kebby Maphatsoe has encouraged ANC members to use the party’s policy conference to criticise President Jacob Zuma.
Maphatsoe said yesterday that the conference – which starts tomorrow – is the correct platform for ANC members to be frank with each other.
“They must come with facts when they say the leadership is not good. They must not use the conference to continue with factional battles.
“We must be frank and criticise each other,” Maphatsoe said.
He lashed out at ANC leaders who have publicly said the party risked losing power if Zuma stayed on as president.
“Our comrades are using the narrative used by opposition parties that the ANC will lose power. To us this means that there is something wrong with our comrades,” he said.
The first two days of the policy conference will be dedicated to organisational renewal. The renewal and design documents warn that the governing party faced a decline in future.
“Internal squabbles, money, politics, corruption and poor performance in government all conspire to undermine its [ANC] legitimacy in the eyes of the broader public,” the document states.
“Some progressive formations and individuals who historically have been part of the broad front of forces for change are challenging the movement on important current issues, particularly corruption.”
Meanwhile, Sowetan has established that some delegates who will attend the conference were planning to call on Zuma to step down.
ANC Youth League spokesman, Mlondi Mkhize, said some delegates were likely to use the conference to test the strength of their preferred candidate ahead of the organisation’s national elective conference in December.
Other issues to be discussed at the conference include the terms “white monopoly capital” and “radical economic transformation”. The ANC in Gauteng at the weekend said there was no such a thing as “white monopoly capital”.
The use of the term “white monopoly capital” is seen by some in the ANC as a stunt to protect Zuma and his close friends, the Guptas, who are facing increasing criticism.
MKMVA also wants “radical economic transformation”, which is championed by Zuma, to be implemented as a matter of urgency.
‘ ‘ Do not use the confe rence for factional battles