Mantashe admits ANC faces watershed

Thabiso Thakali

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has admitted the party may be facing a watershed moment after the Constitutional Court ruling on Nkandla.

Speaking at the 23rd commemoration of the killing of former SACP general secretary Chris Hani in Boksburg, Mantashe revealed how debates among senior ANC leaders on current issues “go to the extreme”. The ANC would not succumb to the opposition’s call for Zuma to fall, he said.

“But it doesn’t absolve us from looking into our own behaviour.”

He admitted many people believed Hani would be disappointed at the state of the ANC today.

“My own view is different… that Chris (Hani) would be at the heart of the battle to save the movement from both the offensive form of opposition forces and the bleeding from our own goals that are very costly to the ANC. He would be fighting factionalism that pushes us to the extremes.

“You find people that say Zuma must go and others saying we are protecting Zuma. Both extremes are wrong. There is no duty in the ANC to protect and defend only Zuma. Ours is to ensure Zuma takes refuge in the organisation because in the course of defending the ANC, he is also defended.”

SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande recalled how Hani had strongly criticised the ANC leadership in 1969, which led to the watershed Morogoro conference being called in Tanzania.

Hani had written a memorandum slating the party on the combination of problems it faced at the time, including favouritism towards the children and descendants of some of the well-known leaders, corruption and patronage.

See page 7