‘I pray ANC gets its act together’

The ANC will not make the same mistakes that cost it power in the Tshwane and Johannesburg metro councils, and will not be ousted from Gauteng in 2019, says Gauteng Premier David Makhura.

Makhura, who is also ANC provincial deputy chairperson, said the upcoming ANC national conference was an opportunity to get its house in order and to deprive the opposition of any chance of governing the country.

South Africa was at a crossroads with poverty, inequality and unemployment on the increase and rampant state and private sector corruption, so the leaders elected at the conference must have strategies to deal with this, he said.

“We have to sort out governance in such a way that there is no place for corruption and corrupt people.” In an interview with The Citizen yesterday, Makhura said although the DA was gunning to take Gauteng from the ruling party in 2019, it would not happen if the ANC took the right path. The DA was banking on current ANC weaknesses, including corruption and infighting, he said.

He was reacting to DA Gauteng leader John Moodey’s recent claim that the opposition party was preparing to wrest the province from the ANC in the 2019 elections.

Similarly, DA leader Mmusi Maimane has said they were preparing to be the ruling party in 2019. Makhura said the ANC must correct its mistakes by getting the economy to work for everybody.

It could do that by electing the right leaders who would work for the people.

“[The DA] are praying we continue to be divided and disorganised so they can govern the country, but I pray the ANC gets its act together at this conference.”

He also lambasted his 5/10 in the recent DA scorecards, saying it was disingenuous to assess him or his executive council on e-tolls, which were a national competency issue.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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