MBOMBELA – Members of the ANC must not heed the criticism against the party, says president Mr Jacob Zuma. He attended the fund-raising gala dinner for the provincial ANC at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, after officially opening Dayizenza Shopping Plaza in Mahushu Village earlier that day.
He was accom-panied by his wife of 54 years, Ms Gertrude Sizakele Khumalo. The event was also attended by members of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Cosatu, the youth and women’s league.
Zuma cautioned members and business people not to listen to charges that the ANC government was failing, explaining that most problems faced by the people were inherited from the apartheid government, which hadn’t educated people to participate in the economy, nor provided infrastructure to the majority of people.
“Informal settlements are a reflection of apartheid policies.”
He also warned that unity among members was crucial. Zuma only alluded to the incident in KaNyamazane in January, where supporters of the ANC and SACP got involved in a violent street brawl ahead of the latter’s planned Joe Slovo memorial lecture. Since then the SACP provincial secretary Mr Bonakele Majuba and Mabuza had publicly denounced one another.
“Unity is the secret to success,” Zuma said. “United we stand, divided we fall. It is important to remember that unity is crucial for the lives of the people of the country. We cannot afford to fight among ourselves.”
Premier and ANC provincial chairman Mr David Mabuza assured Zuma that this was now in the past, following an alliance partner meeting last week. “We are fine. We have our problems. But we are better off than yesterday.
“Mpumalanga is getting more and more united. Of course there is no home without problems. We will attend to the issues and the alliance will grow.”
The party lost four seats in the Mpumalanga Legislature, a stronghold of the ANC, in the general elections last year.
But Mabuza reminded the diners that the ANC remained the leader of the alliance, and that the party had the mandate from the people to govern. “The ANC is still strong, and the ANC will lead this country.”
Zuma emphasised the need to work together. “We need to deliver services to our people, and we can only deliver if we are in government.”
