Ramaphosa Endorsed for Second Term, Limpopo ANC Region to Mobilise More Support
- The ANC Sekhukhune region has expressed its unwavering support for a second term in office for President Cyril Ramaphosa
- A cadres assembly was held in Sekhukhune, one of the five districts of Limpopo, just days before the party's January 8 celebrations
- Ramaphosa addressed the gathering and cited that factionalism within the governing party needs to be done away with
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SOUTHERN - The first endorsement for a second term in office for President Cyril Ramaphosa came to light on Wednesday in the lead up to the African National Congress (ANC)'s 110th birthday celebrations in Polokwane.
The ANC Sekhukhune region in Limpopo kick-started what could signal the very beginning of his re-election campaign ahead of the party's national elective conference in December.
Source: Twitter
According to News24, a cadres assembly was held in Ga-Nkoana, Sekhukhune, where party members chanted rallying cries calling for Ramaphosa's re-election amid a frenzied gathering.
Sekhukhune was among the first districts to endorse the CR17 campaign in 2017. The party's regional secretary Mathope Tala affirmed unwavering support for Ramaphosa, a sentiment that was expressly noticeable at the bustling venue, TimesLIVE reported.
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'Do ANC branches really exist?'
Ramaphosa addressed the large gathering at the cadres forum and reiterated the importance of leadership selection. He cautioned against incompetency, saying if certain people, including party members, do not meet the requirements, they should not make the grade.
Taking the proceedings by the jugular, the President questioned the state of the party, pointedly asking if the party and its branches were still existent. He punted that the branches ought to be more proactive and at the forefront and not only make cameo appearances.
"Is the party alive on the ground? The membership is the foundation and lifeblood of the ANC. Beyond what appears on paper, are the branches active or merely a figment of our collective imagination?" he asked.
"We need to wonder, especially given what happened in the recent local government elections [on 1 November] that saw the ANC losing a lot of ground if these branches only exist during elections or regional conferences because that is when they only seem to wake up?"
Factionalism should be eradicated
Ramaphosa also implored the party's structures to desist from factionalism, citing that the regional leadership in Sekhukhune advised him on his arrival that they had since come together and were now united following its elective conference.
"They said they did not have any radical economic transformation (RET) forces in the region. I thought this was good, but there should not be any CR17 faction either because we should do away with [splitting into two or more groups with differing and often opposing opinions or interests]," said Ramaphosa.
"With factions at play, should one grouping win, then the other works even harder to ensure that same faction's downfall, and this becomes a never-ending cycle that only works against the ANC."
ANC needs to fast track service delivery
Elsewhere, Briefly News recently reported that the contentious issue of service delivery needs to be taken more seriously by the ruling ANC if it is to remain in power, according to Deputy President David Mabuza.
The sentiments were shared at a gathering with traditional leaders in Limpopo on Wednesday, just a few days before the party's celebrations at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.
Mabuza conceded that his party was not moving fast enough to meet long-standing service delivery demands and deadlines from local communities and admitted this has translated to despondency among voters, TimesLIVE reported.
"This time, we plan to respond to the cries we have heard regarding service delivery. Our local, provincial and national administrations must respond to those demands more readily and proactively. We will stick to this promise. Not making that commitment means we must accept to be booted out," said Mabuza.
Source: Briefly News
