Leaders must put the people first - Ramaphosa

6 December 2016

Johannesburg – It is time for South Africa’s leaders to listen to their people and put their interests first, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

"This is not the time to display a sense of arrogance. This is not the time to ignore our people," he said at an event on Monday, to mark the third anniversary of former president Nelson Mandela’s death.

Guests at the event included Mandela's widow Graca Machel.

Mandela died on December 5, 2013.

"This indeed is the time to put the interests of our people ahead of our own parochial interests," said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa lauded the country's first democratically-elected president for being able to understand that in order to lead, he needed to unite the ANC and the country.

Still a lot to do

Although remarkable things had been achieved, there was still a lot to do in order to attain true liberation. This included the transformation of the country’s economy.

"We must acknowledge too, a sense of unease about developments in the political sphere."

He said the fault lines in the ANC and its alliance could not be ignored. During difficult times they had to remember the legacies, struggles and qualities of the leaders of the past.

They served as inspiration to keep pushing towards the South Africa they wished to build, while engaged in the struggle for liberation.

"We are called upon to reflect on the history of our movement, the principles for which it has stood and the ideals for which it has fought – and for which we continue to fight," Ramaphosa said.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.