The African National Congress (ANC) has not gone to the dogs, but the dogs have left the party, said the ANC Women’s League on Monday.
”Now that the dogs are leaving, there will be peace and we will be stronger. The dogs arrived in the ANC and they have left,” said league president Angie Motshekga, referring to dissidents led by Mosiuoa Lekota and Mluleki George.
Motshekga expressed disappointment at the call for a national convention, which could see the formation of a breakaway political party.
”While democracy accommodates the formation of new parties, it is the purpose, the manner and the timing of the formation of the call for the convention that calls for concern.”
She said she had always known Lekota to be ”attention seeking and very loud” after working with him, adding that the league had waited for him to ”fly as high as he could” before they could make a public statement about his actions.
Lekota and George were suspended from the ANC a week ago, while former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa tended his resignation in support of the upcoming convention.
The women’s league called on all ruling-party members and supporters to defend the organisation and work hard to build a healthy nation.
”It is at times like these that we stand in unity to defend our organisation and gains of the new democracy,” Motshekga said.
‘Rhetoric’
Meanwhile, United Democratic Movement (UCM) leader Bantu Holomisa on Monday dismissed as ”pre-election rhetoric” promises by the ANC and its alliance partners to adopt pro-poor policies.
”This pre-election rhetoric and promises are not new, but after the elections there is no accounting of why the jobs don’t materialise and how that money is spent,” Holomisa said in a statement.
In the 2004 elections, the ANC made similar promises but changed focus once it was elected to power.
”We are sick and tired of this rhetoric garbage where the ruling party plays on the sentiments of the poor but once they are in power they do not deliver,” the UDM leader said.
Holomisa, who suggested that all parties be given a platform to provide input on what policies the country needs to adopt to fight poverty and unemployment, criticised the ruling party for creating confusion over the government’s future policies.
”President [Kgalema] Motlanthe is quoted in weekend papers as assuring international investors that no dramatic changes in policy will happen — Zuma is on his way to his masters in America where he will sing the same tune.
”But the troika of [Zwelinzima] Vavi, [Blade] Nzimande and [Jeremy] Cronin have made profound statements about future economic policy,” he said.
Economic growth
However, the ANC Youth League said on Monday that the leadership of the ANC-led tripartite alliance is best positioned and well suited to enhance programmes for the developmental growth of the economy.
”As youth we can proudly proclaim that indeed the alliance is under the correct leadership … the leadership is best positioned and well suited to intensify programmes for economic growth,” spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said.
In a statement, the youth league said the resolutions of the alliance’s recent economic summit were a result of the alliance’s input.
”The socio-economic resolutions of the alliance’s economic summit are primarily guided by the resolutions of the alliance’s components and not blindly imported from elsewhere,” Shivambu said.
The alliance is under a correct leadership with sober and focused dedication to improve the lives of South Africans, he said.
The league will mobilise young people to gain skills, knowledge and expertise to contribute to the country’s development and growth.
Shivambu said the league supports the establishment of a planning commission as proposed by the summit.
”The ANCYL welcomes and unreservedly supports the increased and enhanced capacity of planning, monitoring and evaluation in government, including the establishment of a planning commission,” he said.
He added that the youth league also supports the resolution that black economic empowerment should be subject to industrial policy objectives. — Sapa