Former ANC Deputy President David Mabuza has defended the governing party’s renewal project saying it’s a do-or-die mission for them to realize.
Some party members have bemoaned the renewal project adopted at their 2017 National Conference as a selective process only meant to deal with the antagonists of the current ANC leadership.
Mabuza made these remarks on a campaign trail in one of the country’s oldest township, Alexandra. The ANC has pulled out its bigwigs on the party’s campaign trail ahead of the May 29 polls.
Alexandra township is a community plagued with several issues including a lack of service delivery, lack of housing, sewage spillages and potholes amongst other things.
This time around, Mabuza took to the streets of Alex to canvass for his party. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of his campaign, Mabuza said their unrelenting task of renewal would go a long way in restoring the people’s hope in the ANC if it dealt with the challenges facing the country.
“The renewal of the ANC is the core task that the ANC must undertake, and the ANC is currently on that task. Remember it is not going to be an even and is not going to be a one-day thing, it’s going to be a process. We are going to uproot all rogue elements in the ANC. For the ANC to deal with the current challenges, it must reshape itself, it must not degenerate that is the promise that we are making. We are going to renew ourselves, it’s a question of do-or-die for the ANC to renew itself. So, it is our challenges and we are not going to fail to rise to the occasion.”
Mabuza says the governing party is aware of the challenges that the people of Alexandra face and is dealing with them.
The residents of Alexandra still have not benefitted from the R1.6 billion Alexandra Renewal Project which was meant to redevelop the township.
“We’ve built a lot of houses, I’m aware that there are a lot of people that are without houses that’s why I’m saying we have done so much, there is still a lot that needs to be done, we are on a journey, we can’t betray our people. I’m aware of the challenges that are within the ANC, those are challenges that we are going to resolve as the ANC. We are not going to allow failures to define us, we are going to learn from our failures and do better,” says Mabuza.
Meanwhile, Gogo Rhoda a resident of Alexandra who followed Mabuza on his campaign trail, says her vote is going to the governing party.
“People have record houses. It’s just that some people refuse to acknowledge what the ANC has done, the ANC has achieved a lot and yes, I admit that it also has to do a lot more. People have RDPs now.”
Mabuza has denied claims that the governing party has failed its people.
Video: 2024 Elections – Mabuza lauded by loyalist ANC member on Alexandra campaign trail
