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President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Photo: Gallo Images / Simphiwe Nkwali
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has visited the Northwest Province prior to his provincial conference.
- Ramaphosa spoke at a regional meeting in Rustenburg and described the ANC as a cat.
- He says that the Northwest would soon go to a conference to elect a new provincial leadership.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the ANC as having similarities to a nine-life ‘cat’ that always lands on its feet.
Speaking to ANC branches in Rustenburg’s Bojanala region, Ramaphosa said that critics who claim the ANC is weak were exposed in recent by-elections.
“The by-elections were clear proof that people still love the ANC. It is where we have to show them who is the boss, that the ANC leads and the ANC unites our people. We must see this process transparently … We are like a cat. We have many lives, we not only have nine lives, we have many lives and we always land on our feet, “he said.
Ramaphosa, along with the top six from North Carolina, are in the Northwest to assess the interim leadership’s progress in rebuilding structures.
Administration
The province has been under administration since 2018, and numerous municipalities have also been administered.
The collapse of service delivery, financial difficulties and political instability have been cited among the reasons behind the intervention. The late Auditor General Kimi Makwetu said that none of the municipalities in the province had achieved a clean audit.
In July, News24 reported on how disputes between long-warring factions within the province had ended up being fought in court.
The ANC plans to hold provincial conferences in the Northwest, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape next year.
The president urged members to sign up for the new membership system, which he said would end access control due to its technological process.
“We must stop the trends identified at our 54th national conference where members of our levels become members of other members. With our membership system renewal process, we have introduced it as part of this renewal process,” he said, adding that the purchase of members and membership cards have come to an end.
An interim provincial committee was appointed last year after the provincial executive committee was dissolved after days of protests by members and communities in the province.
READ | ANC Senior Leaders Visit Conflicting Northwest Branches
Ramaphosa had taken it upon himself to help achieve unity and stability in the besieged province by being part of a rapid response team.
Only 14% of the Northwest branches were in good shape, Ramaphosa said. The province needs 70% to go to the conference, he said, adding that the membership renewal should move faster. He added that the regional conferences will only take place after the provincial conference.
“In the Northwest, our movement has faced enormous challenges. In the Northwest, we have interim this, interim that and now we want stability and move beyond the interim east, interim that. Now we must make sure we stabilize the organization, but we must start. at the branch level, the basic unit of the ANC, ”he said.
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