WATCH | ‘Actions, not words’ – Mbeki’s advice for ANC’s future

Mbeki

Cape Town – Former President Thabo Mbeki has urged the African National Congress (ANC) to focus on action over rhetoric to regain public trust and secure its future.

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Mbeki emphasised the importance of practical deeds to demonstrate the party’s renewal and commitment to change.

“If the ANC wants to survive, it must show in the practical actions it takes, so the people themselves can say ‘this is a renewed ANC,’ not because the ANC said so, but because its deeds say so.

The ANC’s declining performance in the May elections resulted in its first-ever coalition government, including an alliance with the Democratic Alliance (DA) to form a government of national unity. In response, the party has launched a renewal campaign, with Mbeki tasked by the National Executive Committee to lead efforts to rebuild support across provinces.

In September, he said that the ANC renewal hinged on improving the quality of its membership.

Mbeki acknowledged at the time that the ANC had attracted careerists and criminals over the years, suggesting an audit and possible reapplication process for current members.

“Does the ANC cease to be a mass-based organisation if it has 500 000 members as opposed to a million in terms of quality, what is the difference between 500 000 and a million because obviously I can imagine a process where all of us renew our membership by applying.

“I don’t think it would result in a mass exclusion of this membership so that it ceases to retain its mass character,” Mbeki said.

He questioned whether the party’s mass character would be affected by reducing membership numbers but prioritising quality.

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