Pretoria - Re-elected ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that the party made mistakes over the years, saying they had paid “dearly” for it too.
He also spoke tough on corruption as he closed the five-day ANC 55th elective conference, held at the Nasrec Expo Centre, south of Joburg, yesterday.
Although the conference drew to a close while more than 4 000 delegates were still voting, the Top Seven consisting of Ramaphosa as president, Paul Mashatile as his deputy, Fikile Mbalula as the new secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane as the first deputy secretary and Maropene Ramokgopa as the second deputy secretary and Dr Gwen Ramokgopa as treasurer-general, had been elected.
Ramaphosa’s closing address also touched on uniting the party.
“As the ANC we have made mistakes, and we have made some missteps, and we have paid for them in many, many ways.
“But even having found ourselves on the brink, we have been able to pull ourselves back. And we have been able to come back from where many people thought we would stumble and fall forever because we know there is no greater task yet to be fulfilled.”
He added that the ANC had a task to build up the ANC back to its glory days.
Ramaphosa warned those that were engaging in corrupt activities: “We must show no mercy to those who steal money from the poor.
“Our discussions at this 55th conference have taken a firm stance against corruption as well.
“We have recognised that corruption within the ANC is indeed a dire threat to the continued existence of our organisation and to the future of the National Democratic Revolution.
“We have recognised the great progress that has been made over the last five years in tackling corruption within our ranks within the state and across society.
“But we have also acknowledged that we have not done enough to end corruption to reverse the effects of state capture and to deal with the corrosive effects on the ANC and institutions across society.”
Ramaphosa announced that the party would be looking at establishing a “vibrant and independent” anti-corruption agency as a structure to address issues of corruption across the country.
He said some topics the conference looked at were gender-based violence.
“This conference has through the various discussions provided guidance on the strengthening of the National Strategic Plan on gender-based violence and femicide and provided clear directions to our structures and towards employees in government on further steps that need to be taken to end this pandemic, of gender-based violence and femicide.”
Pretoria News