By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday delivered the party’s political report of the past five years.
In the speech, which lasted over two hours, Ramaphosa touched on various issues affecting the party and its leadership.
Ramaphosa says disunity within the ANC, especially among its national leaders, was not driven by political differences, but by leaders who fight over positions in government and resources.
“Our experience of recent years is that disunity does not arise from ideological, political, or strategic differences among us.
“But it arises from a contest over positions in the state and resources that are attached to them. That is what causes disunity among us,” he said.
Ramaphosa made the remarks during his presentation of the political report at the ANC’s 55th national conference at the Johannesburg Expo Centre on Friday afternoon.
Ramaphosa received a hostile reception from some ANC delegates, mostly from KwaZulu-Natal, as the five-day conference officially started after more than six hours of delays due to accreditation problems earlier.
On the contrary, Ramaphosa’s predecessor – former president Jacob Zuma – received cheers from the delegates at the gathering while Ramaphosa was heckled and disrupted before he could deliver his speech.
Ramaphosa admitted that five years since the ANC held its 54th national conference in 2017, the divisions within the party had continued to persist, especially at national level.
“We need to acknowledge that despite our efforts over the last five years, we are not as united or we are not as cohesive or as effective as we should be.”
The ANC leader, who’s seeking re-election for a second term at the conference in Nasrec, said the ANC should pursue unity and renewal based on principle and in an effort to unite the country.
The conference was adjourned and credentials to be adopted on Saturday morning.