JOHANNESBURG - "We have to all ensure that we have a participatory democracy, rather than one that is left to politicians and leaders," Motlanthe said on Talk Radio 702.

Eye Witness News reported that Motlanthe had hit back at critics who claimed the South African "rainbow" was unravelling.

Reflecting on the textbook crisis in Limpopo, he said leaders should focus on current problems and not rest on the shoulders of struggle giants. Schools in the province had been without textbooks for the first seven months of the school year.

When asked about the ANC's elective conference in Mangaung in December, Motlanthe answered: "I don't think there's any choice other than to set things right."