Johannesburg – Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe on Sunday said the ANC needed to examine itself critically, individually and collectively, ahead of the 2019 national elections.
“The task at hand is a difficult one…Each member must devote himself or herself to building the ANC. To strengthening the branches of our organisation. As we always say, Amandla asemasebeni – the power is in the branches. It is the selflessness of the ANC cadres that will ensure that our historic revolutionary mission is not compromised,” he said.
Radebe was speaking at the OR Tambo Memorial Lecture at the Lakeside Community Hall in Midvaal.
He spoke about what it took to be a selfless cadre and that there was no better time to speak about the subject considering the challenges that the movement was facing with its alliance partners.
Radebe said the ANC needed selfless cadres who will galvanise society and restore trust in the ANC.
“We must carefully and earnestly evaluate the state of our movement today against the vision, values and principles that [OR] Tambo and many of our leaders in the preceding generations espoused.”
He said the country was facing a difficult time and those challenges needed men and women of integrity “who will remain loyal to the principles and values of the ANC.”
Radebe said while it was in the interest of the ANC to increase membership, the party must guard against those whose interests are not in serving South Africans.
“We must be wary of those who join the ANC with the sole purpose of pursuing their parochial interests at the expense of our revolutionary movement and the people of South Africa.”
Factional battles
He reminded the gathering of the oath ANC members swear to live by when they join the party.
“We want cadres to join the ANC and abide by its values and principles and contribute to its historic revolutionary mission of creating a better life for all.
“We don’t want people who will become members of members of the ANC. “A member of a member” will not build the ANC.”
Radebe said real cadres could not be lobbied into factional causes that contradict the revolutionary objectives.
“We have seen many cadres actively acting as foot soldiers for factional battles, in many instances corrupting not only the ANC and its alliance partners, but also the state.
“A true cadre, a revolutionary in this instance, must be inspired or guided by great feelings of love for the people for whom the revolutionary undertaking must benefit. As we have characterised our present challenges as those of poverty, unemployment and inequality, this must irk the true cadre or true revolutionary.”
He said given that the current administration was left with less than two years in office, the party could not carry on doing things the same way and expect different results.
He said as the party approached its national policy conference, branches should take time to study the various policy documents so that they could make meaningful contributions.
