Dlamini-Zuma's message to ANC's winners and losers
31 August 2017
Port Shepstone - Those who are not prepared to be led should not enter the ANC's election race, warned presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on Wednesday.
"Don't enter the election race if you're not prepared to be led because you'll cause problems."
She said the contestation of leadership positions in the ANC's upcoming December election conference "should not be the beginning of a conflict because whoever wins would be elected democratically".
Dlamini-Zuma said the ANC is a democratic organisation and therefore works with the majority.
She was delivering a Charlotte Maxeke memorial lecture at a packed Ugu Sports and Leisure Centre, in Gamalakhe, on the lower south coast of KZN.
Maxeke - a unifier
"If she (Maxeke) was alive today she would bring unity to the ANC. She was a unifier. She knew the ANC won't win if divided," said Dlamini-Zuma.
She suggested that whoever succeeded ANC president Jacob Zuma - her former husband - "mustn't chase the losers away, and the losers must respect the winner".
Dlamini-Zuma lambasted ANC members who believe the contestation of positions would divide the ANC.
"I don't know how a democratic process would start a fight. I've heard some say if ANC leadership is contested it would cause divisions. Contesting positions happens on a daily basis in branches and regions but the ANC still stands," she said.
Reforming the economy
The former AU chair advised the cadres of the Lower South Coast region of the party to choose a leader that would work towards radically transforming the country's economy.
"When we go to the election, we should campaign for the one with a good track record, not by using people's names or swearing at others."
Dlamini-Zuma said in her view the ANC would win the 2019 elections.
"We will cross rivers and mountains campaigning for the ANC to win," she said.
However, she warned that the ANC should not wait for 2019 to start campaigning.
Early campaigning
"We should start campaigning from January 8 (next year). We must visit all four corners of the country to listen to what people want, see how they live and hear their views. We should include those views in our manifesto. If they see their views on the 2019 manifesto, they'll vote for us."
Dlamini-Zuma said women needed to be given opportunities to participate in the country's economy, which she said "is still in the hands of a few".
"If you give a woman economic freedom, you've given it to her family and the public as well," she said.
She also said "we need our land back".
'Whites are still controlling us'
"They took our land by force, they never asked for it. Whites are still controlling us. We should control our economy and govern because there's no freedom without (control of the) economy," maintained Dlamini-Zuma.
Together with ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, Dlamini-Zuma is one of the front-runners to succeed Zuma.
The Lower South Coast region's ANC Women's League endorsed Dlamini-Zuma to be the next president.
Nombuso Mpanza, convener of the ANCWL in the region said they were ready to be lead by a woman.
A female president
The region's chair Mondli Chiliza also supported the call for a female president.
"We're ready to be lead by a woman. Her work record and dedication speaks volumes," he said.
Last Monday, August 21, Mzwandile Mkhwanazi, secretary of the region, endorsed Ramaphosa.
"We see him as a capable leader. It is not fair that you can only be a leader if you come from KwaZulu-Natal," he said.
He was addressing hundreds of cadres also in Gamalakhe, who had expected Ramaphosa to address them. Ramaphosa did not arrive.
Mkhwanazi was not at the centre where Dlamini-Zuma was.
