Disrespect for the African National Congress’s (ANC) values by its members could destroy the party, President Thabo Mbeki warned on Friday.
This would reverse all the gains made since the advent of democracy in 1994, he said in his weekly online newsletter, ANC Today.
The national concern about the proceedings and results of the ANC’s national conference from December 16 served to confirm that people continued to view the ANC as a parliament of the people.
”The masses of our people continue to hold on to the perspective that the ANC is itself a parliament of the people, as argued by that principal founder of the ANC, Pixley Seme, and others,” he said.
Mbeki referred to appeals by religious leaders, such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, and Zion Christian Church Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, who had recently urged ANC members to apply their minds well in electing their leadership.
The ANC was, and should be, proud that it was inspired by the same values and objectives spelt out by these religious leaders, he said.
”This is precisely because, like them, the ANC is fully conscious of its responsibilities to our people, our continent and the world, as well as the heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our liberty.
”Our experience over many decades, and especially since we acceded to power in 1994, must surely tell us that unless we respect the value system to which we have agreed voluntarily, we will inevitably serve as the very agents for the destruction of the ANC, the defeat of the national democratic revolution and the reversal of the enormous gains our country and the masses of our people have made,” he said.
There were also lessons to be learnt from Angola’s MPLA, one of the ANC’s oldest allies and supporters in the liberation struggle.
”Once more, as during the years of our liberation struggle, the task facing the ANC is to learn from the MPLA and study very carefully the lessons handed down to us by its leaders.
”At all costs we must ensure that we never create the situation when it will be said of us: ‘Our people are suffering and no one cares. If you talk to our people, they’re all suffering. No one is smiling. But there’s no preoccupation with this from the leadership’.
”What the great [MPLA leader and Angolan president] Aghostino Neto said must truly serve as our own motto — the most important thing is to solve people’s problems,” Mbeki said. — Sapa