Mthethwa: ANC is facing serious challenges

Johannesburg - Presenting a report on the balances of forces at the National General Council on Saturday, National Executive Member Nathi Mthethwa said the ANC was facing serious challenges.

“We don’t need new inventions to deal with the challenges of the day, what we need is to look at what we said in 2012. Amongst other things, was that we have to fight corruption both as a perception and as reality,” said Mthethwa.

He said if the party failed to act on the perception on corruption then “the party would face serious challenges”.

“If we take action now we will be able to reverse some of the things that are happening,” he said.  

On the integrity committee Mthethwa said, “The dilemma here is that we have not seen the results of the existence of the integrity committee.

“The committee should decide and not make recommendations to the NEC on whatever it is dealing with because there is reluctance to act amongst the members of the NEC.

“Part of the frustration which the organisation is that there will be an allegation against a leader and whilst the investigation continues and the person is still in their position continuing with their responsibility.

“That creates a problem because the negativity drags for a long period because it becomes a legal matter. By the end of it the image of the ANC rightly or wrongly, has been affected.”

Mthethwa said this was the reason why South Africans thought the ANC was corrupt.

Selflessness, humility and solidarity

“The point here is that we people are innocent until proven guilty. This has made it difficult for the integrity committee to do its job. And if a person steps down, there is an element of admission of guilt.

“We are saying that whether you are guilty or not, allow the processes to take place.”

In dealing with corruption, Mthethwa said, “In the past there was no individual that could be deemed corrupt, it was the entire system.

“We inherited a systematically corrupt system, in the process of introducing new ethos, you are going to be tripped and those that are corruptible, will be corrupted by the system…

“There is a lot that has happened in dealing with corruption…”

About tenders, Mthethwa said, “We need to re-emphasise the values of our movement which are selflessness, humility and solidarity. If we stick to those values, you will do what you have to do.

“If you are given a tender, you will build that school which you have been assigned to do. We need to go back to the basics. If we do not do that we are going to regret it.”   

This article first appeared on News24 – see here.