Dali Mpofu, advocate and former EFF national chairperson, has taken a dig at Thabo Mbeki for joining the ANC’s campaign trail.
Thabo Mbeki campaigns for the ANC
On Thursday, former President Mbeki and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi visited Soweto, encouraging residents to support the ruling party in next month’s upcoming national and provincial elections.
During his walkabout at Jabulani Mall, he engaged with residents and business proprietors, distributing pamphlets featuring the image of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Taking a lighthearted approach, Mpofu jokingly cautioned shoppers to be cautious, reflecting on Mbeki’s past criticisms of the ANC and its leaders, including Ramaphosa.
“Urgent warning to the shoppers of Jabulani Mall. Apparently, there is a man going around that mall giving out leaflets and asking people to vote for people he recently described as criminals, liars, amasela [thieves], and imigodoyi (stray dogs). Please don’t buy into his new story. Kick them out.”
According to The Citizen, Mbeki had previously asserted that Ramaphosa bore some responsibility for not fulfilling his pledge to tackle social problems.
“Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa, when he delivered the state-of-the-nation address in February, said ‘in 100 days there must be an agreed comprehensive social compact to address these matters’. Nothing has happened, nothing.
“You can’t have so many people unemployed, so many people poor, people faced with lawlessness, faced by leadership in which they see ANC people one after another called corrupt,” Mbeki said.
He acknowledged feeling uneasy and uncertain about campaigning for the party the previous year.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu stated that Mbeki would be anticipated to do so as an act of loyalty.
Can Thabo Mbeki revive the ANC’s former glory
According to the Mail & Guardian, Julius Malema, the leader of the EFF, has labelled former President Thabo Mbeki as inconsistent, dubbing him a flip-flopper.
This criticism follows Mbeki’s recent announcement that he would campaign for the ANC in the upcoming general elections despite having previously suggested otherwise.
Speaking to Mail &Guardian, Malema criticised the media for failing to label Mbeki as a flip-flopper, a term often used to describe someone who frequently changes their position.
This contrasts with the consistent application of the label to the EFF leader due to his shifting support for various individuals.
After much speculation regarding whether Mbeki, who previously criticised his party, would support the ANC in campaigning, he has officially endorsed it.
He stated that his “obligation” was to contribute to the party’s efforts.
Malema defended Zuma’s endorsement of the new Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party for the upcoming elections, asserting that Zuma remains a member of the ANC.
He drew a parallel to Mbeki’s past support for forming the Congress of the People (Cope) by former ruling party members.
According to Eyewitness News, one of the main worries of the former president is the need for more trustworthy leaders within the organization and its inability to deliver on its commitments.
Mbeki employed the Xhosa term “amasela” to characterise corrupt individuals in the top positions of the ruling party.
In May of the previous year, he expressed reservations about endorsing the ANC to South Africans, highlighting the party’s failure to address its internal challenges.
He emphasised that despite his ongoing concerns, the only way to regain trust in the ANC brand was through comprehensive self-improvement and refinement.
“The ANC must renew itself because of what is not right in the ANC. So, I have never changed my mind about this, it was correct.”
Given Soweto’s historical allegiance to the ANC, Mbeki has encouraged community members not to lose faith in the party.
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