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State Security Minister David Mahlobo has given City Press a preview into the crafting of the ANC’s January statement that President Jacob Zuma is expected to deliver at the ANC’s 105th birthday celebrations today at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.
Mahlobo said in an interview this week that the statement would largely be “a reflection of where we come from including the things that we had set ourselves to achieve, as well as clarity on what we still need to do”.
“One of the things that is going to come out in the statement is how it is so important to build the unity and cohesion of our movement including the alliance,” he said, adding that the ANC was “the only organisation that accepts when there are challenges inside because it is open”.
“To say there are problems about factionalism is not a myth but it is reality. We are saying let us confront it, talk about it and change our behaviour,” said Mahlobo.
He said it was correct that “there are those individuals within our own ranks that are using the resources either in the state or somewhere else for other issues (and) that is why the focus is also on corruption”.
He said that when Zuma makes the presentation he will also speak about the issues of the economy, especially the biggest challenges. Unemployment was high and unbearable, said Mahlobo, and our economy was not doing well in a number of sectors “and you can see the growth is very low”.
He said the speech would also tackle “social issues around the problem of delivery in education and health and we must speak about it”.
He said the statement would be incomplete if it did not include an assessment of global politics “in terms of how SA relates and its position as a country within the region, continent and the world”.
Mahlobo said that regardless of whatever would be said and done at the policy conference later in June, which would be preceded by a consultative conference to discuss the declining state of the ANC, “comrades must know that unity is sacrosant”.
“But it does not mean that we must conform. Issues must be put on the table and discussed. When we have agreed lets move ahead in terms of implementation”.
