ANC cannot be ‘airbrushed out of existence’ – Ramaphosa

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said the African National Congress (ANC) said he is convinced that the ruling party cannot be easily removed from power.

Ramaphosa was speaking at a cake-cutting event at the Mbombela stadium in Mpumalanga on Monday, 8 January at the party’s 112th birthday celebrations.

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ANC ‘changed lives’ – Ramaphosa

“Those who think the ANC can be airbrushed out of existence, are dreaming. It’s not going to happen because the ANC — which had led this process — has embedded itself into the hearts and minds of our people,” Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa claimed that a number of studies showed that the ANC had changed the lives of all South Africans.

“All of them point clearly that the ANC has succeeded in changing the lives of the people of our country for the better. We succeeded first in persevering with a struggle for 84 years.” 

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Achievements to celebrate

According to Ramaphosa, it had taken the ANC a long time to achieve victory over the apartheid regime.

“Through trial and tribulation, through ups and downs, we were able to prevail as the ANC and we were able to overcome the 342 years of colonialism and apartheid. It was a breakthough.”

Ramaphosa said the ANC was able to ensure that South Africans receive the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

He added that the party also continue to ensure that the poor receive child grants as well, as well as the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) in aid of students.

Ramaphosa continued to talk about the great policies that the ANC had drafted which ensured that women, children and people with disabilities receive fair opportunities.

He said should South Africans vote for other parties in the 2024 provincial and national elections, there was no certainty that these parties would continue with the ANC’s programmes.

“We do not know if these other organisations will have the determination we have.

The president said that under the ANC’s rule, more black businesses have been empowered and that the literacy rate in the country was higher than that recorded 30 years ago.

Ramaphosa on ANC’s internal renewal

Ramaphosa said internally the ANC was continuing to renew itself. He said the ANC was stronger than it had been in a long time.

“The process of disfunctionality and disunity was making us weak,” Ramaphosa said.

According to the president, all ANC divisions, such as the women’s league, had gone to conference indicating that democracy was thriving inside the party. 

He appealed to all leaders of the ANC to go back to the grassroots and strengthen the branches of the party. He described them as the lifeblood of the ANC.