Mbalula visited St John's Apostolic Church on Sunday.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said ANC leaders who have made mistakes in carrying out their duties to the public should be forgiven.
Mbalula was speaking at St John’s Apostolic Church in Katlehong on Sunday.
“I am continuing to ask the church to play its role, for the church to give us blessings, correct us in our transgressions, and even those that make mistakes, forgive them and pray for them. Because this organisation, the ANC, sometimes is not at fault, but it is the individuals in the organisation who are at fault.
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View Map“We send people to go and work for the people of South Africa and then someone decides to be corrupt, they become thieves, and they steal from the people of South Africa,” he said.
Action against corruption
Mbalula said the church should pray for those who are corrupt, adding that the law must also take action against them.
“Those who are corrupt should be arrested so that it should be known that when you are deployed as a councillor you are being sent to serve the public. This organisation is an organisation for the poor; if this gets out of hand, it will be the end of everything.
“If we want to protect this democracy, it is important that we should identify the criminals and deal with them decisively,” he said.
Mbalula also spoke about the ANC’s renewal programme. He said the party is making strides in renewing itself as part of efforts to regain public trust.
“Do you want to be made well? I have sat with that question for months because I believe as an organisation it is a question we must ask ourselves honestly… I believe the answer is a resounding yes.
“Since the answer is yes, like the man in Bethesda, we must be prepared to do the undignified thing that healing sometimes requires: to pick up our mat in full view of people who have seen us lying there and to walk differently,” he said.
Lost confidence
He said the party is willing to earn individual votes through demonstrating that it is in the process of self-correction.
“Our leaders have said plainly what I repeat to you now: we are not owed anyone’s vote through history. The grave of a liberation fighter does not entitle their grandchildren to a blank cheque from the grandchildren of those the fighter served.
“Trust spent is earned back one honest act at a time,” he said.
He told the congregants that he understood that there is a wide range of service delivery issues in Katlehong.
“Fixing it is not a favour this movement does for you in exchange for a vote but a debt this movement owes you. We are asking you to continue that support to hold us to the commitment of service delivery that improves the lives of our people,” he said.
He said the ANC in the City of Ekurhuleni is in a coalition, which makes it hard for the party to honour its commitments to residents.
