Malamulele - Former Eskom boss and ANC MP, Brian Molefe has defended the ANC leadership, saying the recent character assassination of some ANC leaders was no different to the burning of suspected witches at the stake.
Molefe was speaking at an unveiling ceremony of the tombstone for the late Minister of Public Service and Administration, Collins Chabane.
Chabane was killed in 2015 in a car crash along with two of his bodyguards on their way from Polokwane in Limpopo to Tshwane.
Molefe said character assassination was resurfacing in the organisation, where ANC members were targeting one another and attempting to eliminate each other without evidence.
He said suspected witches were previously also burnt at the stake without proof.
Molefe did not say who he felt was being targeted, but went on to defend the ANC leadership.
"When the leadership of the ANC speaks, sometimes we are getting deployed, we must accept our deployment," he said, seemingly referring to the recent and controversial cabinet reshuffle that saw former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas fired.
Molefe said the people who were leading the ANC had things that "they can see that we don't ordinarily see".
He said people started questioning, "Why me?" and when they don't get the whole explanation, they feel let down.
"Maybe one day, when you are old, [you will be told], 'Remember that night we woke you up and said you must do something? Well this was the true picture'.
"I'm not saying we should follow blindly, but sometimes, we need to exercise revolutionary discipline," Molefe said.
President Jacob Zuma also attended the event, calling on ANC comrades to not use memorials as political platforms in what was a thinly-veiled attack on Gordhan, who has been speaking out against Zuma at several memorials for struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada.
