The ANC on Thursday called on its veterans and leaders to stop de-campaigning the party ahead of next year’s elections.
The party was reacting following the resignation of the Veteran’s League (ANCVL) deputy president Mavuso Msimang.
Msimang, who served the party for more than 60 years, in a strongly worded 3-page resignation letter, addressed to secretary-general Fikile Mbalula lamented what he described as endemic corruption within the party.
Mbalula had earlier in the week spoken out against veterans or senior leaders publicly criticising the ANC, describing this as de-campaigning.
Mavuso on Wednesday said he was leaving the party, as he cited corruption, dwindling electoral prospects, and the party’s inability to act against those accused of criminality as some of his reasons.
In response to the criticism, the ANC said it has an “open-door policy and internal communication systems”.
“De-campaigning the ANC has serious implications for the public standing of the organisation. The leadership of the ANC, led by its President Cyril Ramaphosa, has always availed itself for counsel and direction by veterans and stalwarts.
“The ANC is committed towards the fulfilment of the 55th Conference resolutions on renewal and unity of the movement, including discipline.
There is sufficient evidence of the strides that are being made in this regard,” the party said in a statement.
Msimang in his letter said corruption had led businesses to fail and he could not understand how it was allowed that raw sewage could flow into the Umgeni River into the sea, polluting eThekwini beaches “that has been a traditional holiday destination for black people from inland provinces”.
“For several years now, the ANC has been racked by endemic corruption, with devastating consequences on the governance of the country and the lives of poor people, of whom there continue to be so many,” wrote Msimang.
He said the party did not invent corruption and in 1994 had inherited a “state that was morally bankrupt” but when the party was democratically elected to govern it had the conviction to root out the established corruption of the apartheid economy.
“Yet, three decades later, the ANC’s own track record of corruption is a cause of great shame.
“The corruption we once decried is now part of our movement’s DNA.
This has had dire consequences for the most vulnerable members of our society,” Msimang wrote.
He said a new black middle class has grown and developed “which is commendable” but this middle class, he said, was leaving behind people who die before ambulances could reach them or die in the hallways of “overflowing, under-resourced public hospitals”.
“As ANC leaders publicly proclaim ownership of obscenely wealthy homesteads and other possessions and send their children to the best schools in the land, there are still many South Africans whose children continue to be exposed to the risk of dropping into pit latrines in poorly equipped public schools and dying horrendous and humiliating deaths.”
Msimang said one did not need to dig deep to discover that most of the country’s failures, including at power utility Eskom, are linked to “corruption somewhere in the system”.
He said it was painful to sever ties with his once glorious organisation but he would keep a vigil over all matters of governance in the country.
ANCVL president Snuki Zikalala responded to Msimang’s resignation by saying that it was regrettable that Mbalula had made allegations against the league and accused it of undermining the party through its public criticism.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo said Msimang had gone public with his views as he believed the ANC’s internal processes and structures no longer accommodate dissenting or constructive voices.
“Hence people like Msimang have opted to use the media or external platforms to express their frustrations.
“He has previously expressed frustration with the direction the ANC is heading where it appears there is no space for such voices and people are forced to go out and express their views to put pressure on the party to change the way it runs its affairs.”
Khumalo said it was unfortunate that Mbalula and others interpreted this as de-campaigning.
He said Msimang’s comments come at an awkward stage for the party just months before the elections and the bad publicity will add to the pressure.
“The ANC is struggling economically, politically, socially, and developmentally and now this adds fuel to the fire. They must be worried.”
The Mercury