By Lehlohonolo Lehana
Former African National Congress (ANC) deputy president David Mabuza says that the party would emerge victorious despite the many hurdles it continues to face.
Speaking on the sidelines of a door-to-door campaign in Tshwane on Sunday afternoon, Mabuza said the ANC had faced bigger obstacles.
Mabuza said, ANC will survive former President Jacob Zuma and the impact of the uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) on the upcoming election.
“The ANC has survived so many blows and I’m sure we’ll survive this one. It’s the decision of the former president to leave the ANC. Whatever the reasons, well, we can’t blame him, ourselves we’ll remain the ANC.
“The ANC will follow its own processes to discipline members and all of us are equal before the ANC. The constitution of the ANC will apply regardless of your status, all our members will be subjected to the same constitution, “Mabuza said.
Mabuza said the ANC is going to forge ahead.
“Remember when we came from Polokwane, Cope was born, we went through that pain. When we went to Mangaung, the EFF was born and after Nasrec, MK is born. We’ll shoulder on and proceed because the journey that we have started, we think we are almost half way. We’ve made progress at the ANC, we are not going to lament about the failures.”
While the former ANC deputy president admitted that the party has made some mistakes, he believes it has also made significant progress in making life better.
“We are quite aware that the journey is still too long. There are a number of areas where things are still outstanding. The amount of work we have done is inadequate, we have made progress but we’re still going on. So we are here to request our people to give the ANC an opportunity.”
Meanwhile current ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has promised residents of Pampierstad in Nothern Cape that the party is committed to improving the lives of South Africans.
He was speaking during his visit at the United Reform Church in Pampierstad.
Mashatile has been campaigning in the Northern Cape this weekend. He asked congregants not to lose hope in the ANC and vowed that the party will continue to serve people’s needs even after the elections.
“Together we can do more. As we work together, we will do double what we have done for the past 30 years. We will cross the river Jordan,” said Mashatile.
Elsewhere former president Thabo Mbeki insists that he can’t be blamed for the NPA’s failure to prosecute apartheid era crimes, as recommended by the TRC.
Mbeki was speaking during his campaign for the African National Congress (ANC) in Mabopane, north of Pretoria
If there is a demand, you are quite right that a commission of inquiry must be opened sure. I’ve said so, I’ve said by all means.
“The problem with that case was that the prosecutors did not do what they were supposed to do, that’s all and that’s what the Johannesburg High Cout said. Now they want to blame somebody else, its incorrect. National director, please check with your own prosecutors and take action against them,” Mbeki said.
Mbeki said a commission of inquiry into the matter is “fine.”
“It will come to the same conclusion. But fortunately the current national director or public prosecution have said ‘we are proceeding with those TRC cases.’ What had to be sorted about the past, fine, let the commission sit and it will come to the same conclusion, that the prosecutors did not prosecute.”