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A critical ANC Secretary-General Ace Magashule yesterday lambasted his party’s leadership, saying principles and values have slowly been eroded and watered down within the governing party, but has pledged to serve loyally under President Cyril Ramaphosa despite his initial preference for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as party leader.
Magashule was addressing an ANC Youth League mini rally in Hammanskraal, Pretoria.
He said that although he would have “preferred Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to emerge as party leader after the ANC’s 54th elective conference”, he had made peace with the conference’s outcomes and was prepared to work hand in hand with Ramaphosa’s sixth administration.
“I have served under former president Nelson Mandela’s administration, former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration, former president Jacob Zuma’s administration, and now under Ramaphosa.
“My preference would have been to serve under Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, but that was not the outcome.
“However, I have been taught by the party to toe the line, even though conference outcomes do not meet our personal preference. I did not have anything against Ramaphosa, I just had a preference and that preference was Dlamini-Zuma,” said Magashule.
The charismatic Magashule was engaging the youth league and community members at a packed Suurman Community Hall in Hammanskraal.
He spoke about the impediments that the governing party was experiencing in trying to implement ANC resolutions.
He said ANC leaders in particular needed to stop being out of touch with communities and be accessible to them even after election seasons.
“Why are people not voting for the ANC today as much they have been in days gone by? Could it be because of our leaders who now only become available when it’s election season?” asked Magashule.
He said instead of making communities their priority, leaders were enriching themselves in communities, under the guise of having good intentions.
“We have leaders who hand out money, significant amounts, and not truly empower communities for the mere reason of making them dependent on them so that they these communities will feel indebted to them to levels where they even tolerate corruption and shady dealings that they partake in,” said Magashule.
In what could be interpreted as a swipe at Ramaphosa, whose campaign leading up to the ANC last elective conference has been tainted by allegations of being bolstered by exorbitant cash donations, Magashule: “Money will never buy the ANC comrades, let me tell you. One’s convictions and love for the ANC will at the end ensure their standing within the party.”
Speaking to City Press, ANC caucus spokesperson and Youth League Tshwane regional chairperson Lesego Makhubela explained that the Youth League had invited Magashule in his capacity as the party’s secretary-general and custodian of the party’s resolutions.
“As secretary-general, Magashule is tasked with implementing resolutions taken by the party. We therefore want him to come and address our people who are living under adverse conditions on when resolutions take by the party to better them will be implemented,” said Makhubela.
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