Adulation in U’hage for Jonas
I’m an activist, not a professional politician, former deputy finance minister says
AShe stepped into the Babs Madlakane Hall in KwaNobuhle, the crowd erupted into applause and broke out into song and dance. The message was clear – Uitenhage was happy to have Mcebisi Jonas back home.
Clad in a denim shirt and jeans, Jonas cut a casual figure, a man at ease and free of the burden of having to guard the public purse on behalf of about 50 million South Africans.
He danced, he smiled and shook hands with some of the hundreds of SACP, ANC and Cosatu members who turned up to hear him and ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa speak on Sunday.
And while there had been a call from a Kwanobuhle ANC branch for the former deputy finance minister to have a go at the Eastern Cape chairmanship when the ANC holds its provincial elective conference in July, he is not so keen. Asked if he would consider making a comeback to provincial politics, Jonas said: “I’ve never been approached about that and when I asked the branch, they did not seem to know about it equally.
“But I think it’s important to unite the province and I don’t think I will be one of the candidates in any way.”
He said he would continue his work as an activist, mobilising to build stronger structures of the SACP, Cosatu and civil society.
“Being a deputy minister was almost like an accident in history because, I think fundamentally, I am an activist, that’s where I come from.
“Our people are facing great challenges – inequality, low growth, state capture.
“We need to mobilise society behind those things and we need to strengthen structures of the movement, and build a stronger communist party, build a stronger Cosatu and a stronger civil society.
“That’s where I locate myself as an activist. I’m not a professional politician,” Jonas said.
Earlier in the day, as Jonas took to the podium to address the crowd, he reminded everyone about the role that Uitenhage had played in the struggle for freedom.
Although he now lives in Johannesburg, he said he was impressed by the big turnout in his hometown.
“Let me salute the people who came here, I’m so impressed,” Jonas said.
“The last time we had a gathering like this in Uitenhage was in 1985.
“The fact that you came out in your numbers tells us something. It sends a message to those in doubt that in this part of the world, you led the fight against apartheid in Uitenhage.
“You led and sacrificed the lives of many people here. It was never just the Langa massacre.
“These people you see here today – I can tell you with no fear of contradiction – can take this country forward.
“They are still determined to fight the exploitation of man by man.
“They’re still determined to fight against state capture. They’re still determined to fight against abuse of power.”