By Doreen Mokgolo
Former president of South Africa Kgalema Motlanthe expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the ANC for finally heeding his call to hear the cries of ordinary South Africans.
In 2017, the former deputy president suggested that it might be better for the party to lose power first before it redeems itself.
Motlanthe felt that the party was in a dire state at the time, prompting him to make this call to the leadership.
Motlanthe was speaking during a door to door campaign on Saturday in Tsakani and Duduza, interacting with residents who shared some of their service delivery challenges.
“The leadership had lost the ability to hear the cries of ordinary people,” he said. “I felt perhaps for the leaders to pay attention it would take the shock therapy of losing an election. I wasn’t expressing a wish but appealing to the leadership of the ANC,” he said.
“The message was heard, and I am convinced the leadership is now opening their ears to hear the cries of ordinary people.
“Even then I expressed that I was going to vote and support the ANC because the ANC is an organisation and doesn’t belong to the individuals in it,” he said.
He is one of the ANC veteran leaders, which includes former president Thabo Mbeki, who has been on a campaign trail in Tshwane, visiting the families of fallen ANC stalwarts on Friday and Saturday.
Motlanthe said to avoid the coalition challenges witnessed in local municipalities the ANC is fighting to win 50+one votes to regain their leadership in government.
“What we have observed with coalitions in local government is that they are based on transactions and not on a common programme of improving services to the community. As a result we are trying to ensure that we obtain 50+one percent because the experience has not been pleasant,” he said.
Former deputy president David Mabuza was in Kwa-Thema and Olievenhout on Sunday.
Pictured above: Former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
