Gwede Mantashe wants ANC to amplify its achievements
Party chair says members do not ‘talk publicly about what we do, and our opponents exaggerate what they do’
28 October 2024 - 13:07
byModiegi Mashamaite
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe believes ministers deployed in government should adopt the DA’s style and be loud about their work.
Speaking during commemorative activities honouring late ANC president Oliver Tambo, Mantashe highlighted the party’s challenges and the importance of restoring its image and political dominance.
Without naming a party, Mantashe said the ANC’s “opponents” often take credit for initiatives originally initiated by the party.
“ANC members who are in those cabinet posts must do their work, and they must talk about it. The problem is we’re not very keen on talking publicly about what we do, and our opponents exaggerate what they do, even if they only build on what was started by the ANC,” he said.
“We owe it to Oliver Tambo and to the ANC to restore the glory of the party.”
His remarks come after home affairs minister Leon Schreiber was criticised by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office for announcing the signing of a visa-free access agreement for diplomats and officials between SA and Ukraine.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said negotiations between the two countries started in 2020, five years before Schreiber started his tenure.
Mantashe said the party had a plan to regain its majority and political control.
“Our restoration will be to regain that majority and begin to govern on our own. That will be restoration,” he said.
Mantashe raised concerns about the party losing its majority in the provinces that are key for economic growth.
“We first lost control of major economic centres. We lost Western Cape, a major economic centre. This year we lost Gauteng, the economic hub of the country. We lost KwaZulu-Natal. We can list the reasons for losing control of the areas. There are many of them. The reality of the matter is that we lost.
“When we lost the majority on May 29, we asked the question: What are we going to do? Are we going to go to the opposition benches? We said, no, that will be irresponsible. Should we form a minority government? No, it will not be powerful enough. Should we form a grand coalition? We said no. And we asked the question, with who?”
He said he was not convinced the EFF and MK party were “less dangerous” as government of national unity (GNU) partners.
“Everybody insulted us and said you’re forming a coalition with the DA. That is not true. People said you should have formed the coalition with the MK [party] or EFF because they are less dangerous. If [former EFF deputy president] Floyd [Shivambu] could take a public platform and say ‘our intention is to remove the ANC surgically from power’, that is not less dangerous. ‘Surgical’ means you cut. That was the intention of the EFF. That is not less dangerous.”
The MK party wanted the ANC to remove Ramaphosa, he said.
“MK wanted to remove the president. We reminded them that when [former president Jacob] Zuma was president of the ANC, the EFF put the same condition. We refused and we are refusing now.”
Mantashe challenged the perception of the DA as an enemy. “They say we are sleeping with the enemy. I ask them, who is this enemy? And they say it’s the DA. I say that is selective righteousness, because you all sit with the DA, you serve with the DA in committees, but when it is in cabinet you become self-righteous. It is selective. It is not working.”
Any efforts to honour Tambo’s legacy would be “hollow” unless the ANC restored its rightful place in society, he said.
“If we can’t restore the ANC, anything we do is hollow. If we say we are committed to the legacy of Oliver Tambo but we cannot restore the ANC, it’s a hollow sound. It will only be meaningful if we restore the ANC to its rightful place in society.”
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Gwede Mantashe wants ANC to amplify its achievements
Party chair says members do not ‘talk publicly about what we do, and our opponents exaggerate what they do’
ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe believes ministers deployed in government should adopt the DA’s style and be loud about their work.
Speaking during commemorative activities honouring late ANC president Oliver Tambo, Mantashe highlighted the party’s challenges and the importance of restoring its image and political dominance.
Without naming a party, Mantashe said the ANC’s “opponents” often take credit for initiatives originally initiated by the party.
“ANC members who are in those cabinet posts must do their work, and they must talk about it. The problem is we’re not very keen on talking publicly about what we do, and our opponents exaggerate what they do, even if they only build on what was started by the ANC,” he said.
“We owe it to Oliver Tambo and to the ANC to restore the glory of the party.”
His remarks come after home affairs minister Leon Schreiber was criticised by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office for announcing the signing of a visa-free access agreement for diplomats and officials between SA and Ukraine.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said negotiations between the two countries started in 2020, five years before Schreiber started his tenure.
Mantashe said the party had a plan to regain its majority and political control.
“Our restoration will be to regain that majority and begin to govern on our own. That will be restoration,” he said.
Mantashe raised concerns about the party losing its majority in the provinces that are key for economic growth.
“We first lost control of major economic centres. We lost Western Cape, a major economic centre. This year we lost Gauteng, the economic hub of the country. We lost KwaZulu-Natal. We can list the reasons for losing control of the areas. There are many of them. The reality of the matter is that we lost.
“When we lost the majority on May 29, we asked the question: What are we going to do? Are we going to go to the opposition benches? We said, no, that will be irresponsible. Should we form a minority government? No, it will not be powerful enough. Should we form a grand coalition? We said no. And we asked the question, with who?”
He said he was not convinced the EFF and MK party were “less dangerous” as government of national unity (GNU) partners.
“Everybody insulted us and said you’re forming a coalition with the DA. That is not true. People said you should have formed the coalition with the MK [party] or EFF because they are less dangerous. If [former EFF deputy president] Floyd [Shivambu] could take a public platform and say ‘our intention is to remove the ANC surgically from power’, that is not less dangerous. ‘Surgical’ means you cut. That was the intention of the EFF. That is not less dangerous.”
The MK party wanted the ANC to remove Ramaphosa, he said.
“MK wanted to remove the president. We reminded them that when [former president Jacob] Zuma was president of the ANC, the EFF put the same condition. We refused and we are refusing now.”
Mantashe challenged the perception of the DA as an enemy. “They say we are sleeping with the enemy. I ask them, who is this enemy? And they say it’s the DA. I say that is selective righteousness, because you all sit with the DA, you serve with the DA in committees, but when it is in cabinet you become self-righteous. It is selective. It is not working.”
Any efforts to honour Tambo’s legacy would be “hollow” unless the ANC restored its rightful place in society, he said.
“If we can’t restore the ANC, anything we do is hollow. If we say we are committed to the legacy of Oliver Tambo but we cannot restore the ANC, it’s a hollow sound. It will only be meaningful if we restore the ANC to its rightful place in society.”
TimesLIVE
ANC sets up internal appeals body for members to plead their case
SAM MKOKELI: A national dialogue needs to preclude the pettiness of the mandarins
Mantashe laments trouncing by MK party at Mdladlana memorial
MICHAEL AVERY: SA’s race against the FATF clock
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
ANC sets up internal appeals body for members to plead their case
Fiscal anchor proposal not supported by ANC
POLITICAL WEEK AHEAD: ANC to disclose outcome of ‘intense’ meeting
MICHAEL AVERY: SA’s race against the FATF clock
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.