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- President Cyril Ramaphosa said all ANC members would cooperate with the state’s capture investigation.
- He said ANC members should not make statements that divide the ANC, and should not burn party insignia.
- ANC members guilty of gender-based violence will be punished, Ramaphosa said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has indirectly engaged former President Jacob Zuma to cooperate with the state arrest commission of inquiry chaired by Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo.
READ | Ramaphosa Could Face Coup If Zuma Is Arrested Over Zondo Investigation Strike, MKMVA’s Maphatsoe Warns
Ramaphosa said Tuesday that attendees of the ANC’s three-day national executive committee meeting appreciated the work done by the commission “under very difficult circumstances.”
“We confirm the willingness of our members to cooperate with the commission and refrain from any unnecessary attacks against the vice president of the Supreme Court and the work that the South African nation has asked him to do,” he said.
Ramaphosa’s final remarks echoed what he said in his political briefing to Monday’s meeting, when he reminded the NEC that the party’s Nasrec conference in 2017 ruled that the commission of inquiry would be a necessary part to end the the capture of the state and take a stand against corruption.
Zuma, as an ex officio member of the NEC, also attended the meeting.
READ | Zuma attorneys face misconduct complaint over Zondo commission ‘strike’
Call to unity
The commission’s secretary, Itumeleng Mosala, in an affidavit to the Constitutional Court, which the commission approached to compel Zuma to appear before it, said that Zuma was “actively attacking” his legitimacy and credibility. Zuma left the commission last month.
Ramaphosa also called for unity in the party, which was divided between those who supported him and those who supported the party’s general secretary Ace Magashule and Zuma.
“We need to desist as leaders from making statements that fuel divisions,” Ramaphosa said.
He concluded his speech by saying that unity in the ANC was paramount. “It is important if we are to lead the effective transformation of our society and our economy,” he said.
He also spoke out against those who burned the ANC insignia outside the court where Magashule was accused of corruption last month, saying it was “improper for us as members to denigrate and desecrate the insignia, including sometimes the flag of our organization.”
He added: “It is not acceptable and must stop.”
Ramaphosa also said that the party agreed that its regional conferences would go ahead next year, and there was an agreement that the ANC Youth League should have its elective conference before the end of March, and in line with possible Covid-19 restrictions. .
He announced that the party now had a record number of 1.4 million members, with time until mid-December for members to renew their membership.
Ramaphosa also said that the ANC would hold workshops for NEC members and leaders for branch committees on patriarchy, equality and gender sensitivity.
“As the ANC we must have a zero tolerance approach to violence and intimidation against women,” she said, adding that the party would have disciplinary procedures against any member “found to be perpetuating such despicable behavior.”
He said the government’s economic recovery plan, in part to recover from the damage caused by the Covid-19 shutdown, was progressing and the party was encouraged by news that the economy had recovered more strongly in the third. quarter than expected.
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