The African National Congress (ANC) says it will not waste its time commenting on the Umkhonto we Sizwe party, which its former leader Jacob Zuma recently endorsed.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula was answering questions at the party’s media briefing on preparations for the January 8 Statement at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.
The ANC NEC is currently holding its first meeting for the year at the venue. Among the discussion items are the January 8th Statement and the coming elections. The event will be held on next week Saturday since the 8th is on Monday.
Mbalula explains, “The people of South Africa are going to vote for the ANC because we fought load shedding, we fought state capture, we fought corruption and we created jobs that’s what the people of South Africa want. (…) President Zuma himself has had his time as president he can go look at his track record and praise himself because those were ANC policies where he has had weakness the ANC suffered.”
ANC January 8 Statement media briefing on state of readiness:
Speaking to members of the media about the party’s plans for the coming days, Mbalula comments on the MK party.
“There are not two parties; there is no party called MK existing in our name through somebody who wants to be the saviour of the party. There is no such thing in the ANC. You resolve your issues with the party. We have had difficulties in the party over time through different epochs and periods of transition that have actually happened. So this thing is not new. When people were disgruntled and not happy about President Zuma, they went and formed a coalition. When people don’t agree with President Ramaphosa, they form MK.“
Mbalula expresses concern about the rolling blackout. He, however, remains optimistic that it will be resolved.
“We know the effects of load shedding in terms of the economy; we want it gone, and we know that load shedding has been used and is going to be used in the campaign against the ANC government. In this particular instance, it is against this background; it is in our interest not only for an election but for SA as a whole that we deal with this matter.”
Party leaders will, in the coming days, crisscross the province, engaging various party members and families of the late leaders of the organisation.
January 8 Statement| ANC SG Fikile Mbalula updates on state of readiness for 112th Anniversary:
