ANC focused on building unity this year – Mkhize

“2017 is the make-or-break year for the ANC,” says the ruling party’s treasurer-general, Zweli Mkhize.

During an interview with The Citizen at the start of the party’s 105th birthday celebrations at Vilakazi Street in Soweto, Johannesburg, Mkhize said the ANC would have to pull up its socks to win back supporters.

With the anticipation of the State of the Nation Address, the ANC elective conference and the judicial inquiry into the State of Capture report – implicating senior members of the ruling party – Mkhize said the ANC’s focus would be on building and maintaining unity this year.

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“I believe it is a defining moment because it is the year that is going to be a make-or-break one for the ANC,” Mkhize said.

“There are a lot of things that need to be done, including the revitalisation of the ANC and its values, reorganising its structures and dealing with the negative issues dogging the ANC.”

Unity has been a running theme in the party’s public narrative after suffering major losses in last year’s local government elections as well as in the run-up to yesterday’s address by President Jacob Zuma. Deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte recently penned an opinion piece in The Daily Maverick, echoing Mkhize’s sentiment.

“The task before us as we enter another year as the leader of society is to reclaim lost ground following a number of challenges and setbacks.”

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