Thabo Mbeki Says ANC Attracts Wrong People, Calls for Party to Rid Itself of Corruption to Be Undefeatable

• Former President Thabo Mbeki had choice words for members of the African National Congress who joined after 1994
• The former president called for members of the ruling party to change their behaviour and said the ANC must rid itself of corruption
• Mbeki said he is committing himself to rebuilding the ANC, to ensure the party renews itself even if it is painful

JOHANNESBURG - Former President Thabo Mbeki ripped into the African National Congress, saying the party has been attracting the wrong people since 1994. He was speaking at the memorial service of struggle stalwart Rita Alice Ndzanga when he made the remarks.

Mbeki said something was wrong with the country, and he was not criticising the ANC but society. He said South Africans note that current party members did not behave the same as politicians once did.

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The former president called for members of the ruling party to change their behaviour. He said the party had attracted the wrong people into its ranks since the ANC came into government.

Mbeki said the ANC was seen as a way to gain power and that the only way the party would have a future was if it was renewed, SowetanLIVE reported. He described the renewal process as a painful one.

The former president said he is committing himself to rebuilding the ANC, to ensure the party renews itself. He said no other party in the country has the possibility to defeat a renewed ANC.

Mbeki said that the ANC is not corrupt, but the people in the ANC are, and the party needs to rid itself of them. According to the Daily Maverick, the political party received less than 50% of votes nationally in the 2021 local government elections.

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South Africans react to Mbeki’s remarks:

@Bruno_Rams14 said:

“Mbeki sounds like he wants to be the president of ANC again.”

@ntobengnkadimen commented:

“Mbeki’s administration of ANC was the beginning of South Africa’s economic problems.”

@azania1023 added:

“Mbeki is correct but the truest renewal will start when we get rid of Pravin, Joel Netshitenze, Enoch Gondongwane, and Tito Mboweni these are the people who are behind the scenes running the ANC. They develop ANC economic development plans and sit on boards of financial institutions.”

Thabo Mbeki slams the ANC leadership, claims they don’t have a plan to address challenges facing the country

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported Thabo Mbeki slammed the leadership of the government during the memorial service of the late ANC stalwart Jessie Duarte. Mbeki was met with loud cheers and singing when he called the ANC to sort itself and its leadership out.

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He said that the government did not have any plans in place to address the high rate of unemployment, poverty and inequality in South Africa according to EWN.

Al Jazeera reported that Mbeki has slammed President Cyril Ramaphosa saying that he has failed to deliver his promises and the Phala Phala scandal has done a lot of harm.

Source: Briefly News