ANC NGC: Zuma talks tough on discipline & unity

At the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) this weekend, the ruling party must take the following action to protect and promote current trade partnerships, as well as pave the way for future trade partnerships in order to grow our economy.

“We also need to address the purported existence of the so-called kingmakers in the ANC. There is no structure of the ANC that has been afforded the status of being a kingmaker”, Zuma said.

“I always say to business people, if you support the ANC, you are investing very wisely”. The TG [ANC treasurer general] is a nice and a handsome young man. When he knocks, open the doors. “We must not have a situation where you join, and you don’t know what happens in the process – at times you end up with a receipt expiring without getting the card”, said Zuma. He accused a few ANC officials of blocking new members from joining the party to ensure they retained control of their regions.

The ANC president sharply criticised members’ behaviour, especially at branch level, and warned that “negative tendencies” including what he called “systematic sowing of divisions” within the organisation were crippling the party.

Zuma’s statement comes in the face of criticism from opposition parties against the ANC after it emerged that Japanese conglomerate Hitachi agreed to pay a $19-million penalty to the Securities and Exchange Commission to settle charges of alleged corrupt payments to the tune of $6-million to the ANC’s Chancellor House to secure Eskom contracts to build power stations.

Delegates attending the three-day forum, which takes place mid-way through the ANC’s five-year electoral term, will review the government’s performance and recommend whether policy changes should be made when the party holds its next national conference in 2017.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has the biggest delegation of 513 followed by the Eastern Cape which is due to have 403 delegates.

“Most ANC branches function well and we’ll agree that others are facing difficulties and need to be freed from tendencies such as manipulations and gate keeping”.

The who’s who of the ANC is also in attendance including veterans like the late Nelson Mandela’s close comrade Ahmed Kathrada and former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) affirmed on Friday that it will not make any compromise on a highly controversial private security industry bill despite USA pressure. Zuma was expected to deliver his political report on Friday.