Johannesburg- Axed finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, proved himself the darling of the Ahmed Kathrada memorial in Johannesburg on Saturday, with his self-deprecating humour as well as scathing remarks about the current state of the government and a call to fight corruption within the ANC.
"I am unashamedly encouraging mass mobilisation," said Gordhan, who this week was axed during a cabinet reshuffle, along with his deputy Mcebisi Jonas and other ministers.
Yet, "this ANC is still our ANC," declared Gordhan, to the cheers of an overflowing crowd at the city hall.
"We need to get this organisation of ours into a shape that shows we are truly a people’s movement."
Gordhan said the fact that various members of the ANC’s top leadership had indicated that they had played no part in the decisions around this week’s cabinet reshuffle, indicated a key problem.
"When these people say we don’t know where these decisions are made, then there is something to worry about.”
He said South Africans needed to hold the government accountable.
The ANC and democratic government "finds itself at a mini crisis," suggested Gordhan.
"Who is the problem and what is the problem are very clear."
South Africans had to fear the "animal" of state capture.
"State capture mustn’t become economic sabotage."
Gordhan also alluded to news channel ANN7, which is connected to the Gupta family, as a "propaganda channel" akin to "Nazi Goebbelism".
"Strengthen the state, strengthen the ANC and make sure you strengthen our democratic path."
The memorial service was organised by the Ahmed Kathrada foundation and the SACP. The Gauteng branch of the ANC also joined in after a state memorial was cancelled, with government communications saying it could not agree on the logistics with Kathrada’s family.
"Let me say… publically and openly that postponing the official memorial was petty and spiteful," said Gordhan.
