Mbalula Preaches Unity at Mahlangu Commemoration

Secretary-General warned ANC comrades at the Solomon Mahlangu Commemoration that party will kill itself through infighting and petty politics

In his keynote address at the Solomon Mahlangu commemoration earlier today in Mamelodi, Pretoria, African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General (SG), Fikile Mbalula, delivered a blunt assessment of the internal state of the governing party, using legacy of the fallen struggle hero to remind those in attendance that the greatest threat to the movement’s survival does not come from the outside.

Mbalula invoked the historical wisdom of past leaders to highlight the dangers of current factionalism and the breakdown of ANC’s organisational cohesion.

He stated that the ANC will not be killed by anyone else but will “kill itself” – lending from erstwhile warnings by the late former ANC president, Oliver Tambo.

In the 1980s, Tambo would loosely warn – albeit frequently - that the ANC is “a giant that can only be consumed by parasites from within it”.

This sobering reflection by Mbalula served as a call to order for members who have prioritised personal interests over the collective mandate of the liberation movement, therefore prompting Mbalula to emphasise that the true danger lies within the structures of the organisation itself.

He went on to describe the specific behaviours that currently jeopardise the party’s standing in the eyes of the South African public.

“It will kill itself with pettiness and internal fights,” Mbalula warned, adding that “these are the things we must fix within the movement” if the party is to remain a viable political force.

Despite these internal warnings, the Mbalula maintained a confident outlook regarding the party’s ability to reclaim lost ground in the looming local government elections, whilst dismissing the supposed impact of opposition parties within the government of national unity arrangement.

Mbalula claimed that their time in various seats of power across the country had yielded little for the citizenry.

“We will win. The ANC will be back in power,” he declared to the gathered supporters in Mamelodi.

“There is nothing that they did while they were in power to improve the lives of the majority,” he added.

Mbalula urged members to stop obsessing over the manoeuvres of other political formations and instead focus on the quality of their own internal work as the ANC - suggesting the party should refocus on its core service delivery mission.

“In the coming days, we will be selecting councillors …we must select people who are loved by the people and who work for the community,” Mbalula stated.

In an unprecedented move toward transparency, he invited the public to have a direct say in who should lead the country’s major metropolitan areas. This democratic approach is intended to restore trust in the ANC’s ability to govern the economic hubs of the nation effectively.

“Anyone who wants an ANC mayor in Pretoria, Johannesburg, or Ekurhuleni - you are free to make your suggestions,” he said.

Mbalula promised a high level of scrutiny for these potential leaders, likening the upcoming vetting processes to formal academic evaluations.

“We will shortlist them; we will interview them like it’s an exam, and (then) in May we will announce the mayors who will represent us,” said the ANC SG.

He went to draw a sharp line between those who have served with distinction and those who have neglected their duties.

“There are those who have worked well, but there are also ‘mavila’ (lazy comrades) whom we sent but did not do the work.

“They must not expect to be re-elected,” Mbalula said, whilst urging the party to not discard people who have a good service delivery track record.

“Let them continue the good work they are doing.”

Central to this entire message of renewal was a demand for a return to the strict organisational discipline that once defined the movement.

He argued that the current fragmentation of the party into competing interests makes it impossible for the organisation to achieve its strategic goals.

“The movement cannot move forward without discipline … the centre must hold" if the ANC is to navigate the current political climate successfully.

He further pleaded with those who are operating outside the ANC’s established protocols and decisions to abandon selfish agendas for the sake of the movement’s longevity.

“You cannot go left when you are supposed to go right.

“Do not do your own things,” Mbalula said in summing up his call for a unified direction for all party comrades across the country.

The Solomon Mahlangu Commemoration was attended by a number of ANC stalwarts, members of the ANC Women’s League, the ANC Youth League, as well as representatives from the party’s alliance partners, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).