Anti-Zuma marchers must not be dismissed, says Ramaphosa

ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa has embraced the ongoing anti-President Jacob Zuma and anticorruption protests, saying many of the marchers were genuinely committed to a united society.

He warned the ANC not to dismiss those who protested in the streets against state capture and corruption as reactionaries.

Giving his Oliver Tambo memorial lecture in Tembisa yesterday, Ramaphosa became the first ANC top leader to acknowledge the role played by mass action against state corruption.

The protests, organised mainly by civil society organisations and opposition parties and supported by some ANC stalwarts and allied structures, have centred on the call for Zuma to step down and for an end to state capture and corruption.

“We should be careful not to dismiss as reactionaries those who march in protest against state capture and corruption. Certainly, there are forces that are bent on removing the ANC from office and ultimately destroying it, but many of the people involved in these protests are genuinely committed to building a united, democratic and equal society,” Ramaphosa said.

His statement is in contrast to the utterances of many party leaders who have always dismissed the protesters as forces of “antitransformation” and elements hellbent on effecting regime change.

Zuma followers accused protest organisers of pursuing the white monopoly capital (WMC) agenda. The WMC concept was exposed at the recent ANC policy conference as part of a nefarious ploy to divert attention from the real roleplayers in state capture.

Ramaphosa said the ANC should be drawing the protesters towards itself.

“These are the people whose skills, energies and commitment we should be mobilising in support of the fundamental transformation of our economy and society. One of Oliver Tambo’s most remarkable talents was his ability to draw people towards the ANC and to deploy them to play meaningful roles.”

Members should be empowered to determine the direction of the party without being manipulated and coerced. They need to guide its policies, priorities and programmes informed by the needs of their communities.

He blamed ANC divisions on gatekeeping, vote buying and undue interference that stripped members of rights, responsibilities and influence.

“We need to hand over control … to members.”

The deputy president said ANC branches had become detached from the ordinary people and, therefore, must be restored to being the sites of social activism.

“Too many exist merely to advance one or another factional project. We need cadres who are committed to serve no other interest than that of the people.”

– ericn@citizen.co.za