ANC national executive committee (NEC) member Jeff Radebe on Sunday used the 29th annual commemoration of Chris Hani's death to hit out at divisions in the party, saying there was a hidden hand sowing it in the ruling party.
Hitting out at the factions that have become synonymous with ANC politics in the past decade, Radebe
pondered about how struggle icon Hani would have viewed ANC politics today.
"What would Chris be saying when his organization is eating itself out of existence? What do we do today to prevent many anti-alliance pundits about our chances for electoral victory in 2024? To honour Hani, we need an overwhelming electoral victory.
"What lessons can we learn from Chris Hani’s leadership to return the dignity of our organizations to its past glory?
"He would have realized that a hidden hand is encouraging these divisions. Chris Hani speaks to us today because he seeks unity of purpose. This is what he lived for, and that is what he died for," he said.
Radebe said "political charlatans" aspired to the highest office in order to amass illegal wealth, adding that unscrupulous officials misappropriated funds meant to improve the lives of the poor for their own needs.
NEC member and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who gave the keynote address, joked how he had to greet Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell, who is a member of the DA.
Touching on how the ANC had joined the opposition benches in the municipality, Mantashe said the ANC should accept defeat when defeated.
"When you lose power, you must accept, adapt and acknowledge you’re not in power," he said.
Mantashe added the ANC should not blame anyone for the losses it suffered during the November local government elections.
Support for the ANC fell under 50% nationally.
He said black excellence in SA was being questioned, with some saying it was a myth.
"Let’s not blame others for the mistakes we’ve committed. Comrade Thabo Mbeki previously said the outcome of November elections reflected the resurgence of right wing and collapse of left wing.
"I said that’s not true. ANC collapsed under 50% but the DA also collapsed by 5%.
"This is the fragmentation of the left and the duty we’re having is to go back and say, what is it that we must own and what mistakes have we committed?" he said.
Mantashe said the ANC was now reaping the fruits of its own harvest.
"If you plant wind, you harvest whirlwinds. What we’re seeing is the whirlwind we’ve harvested and must attend to it," he said.
Hani's wife, Limpho appealed to political leaders such as Mantashe and Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi, who was also in attendance, to address the issue of pupils studying under trees in provinces such as the Eastern Cape.
"My husband was dedicated to the struggle, worked hard, made sacrifices and fought hard for people to have access.
"We still have schools in other provinces where kids are studying under trees. Really after 28 years, I don’t want to say we’ve failed but we haven’t done our job.
"Jeff, Mantashe, Blade [Nzimande], Thulas you’re all in cabinet. Please, please, please I appeal to those in power, to make sure we don’t have children studying under trees. Children at school don’t use pit toilets. That’s all I’m asking for," Hani said.
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