ANC veteran and Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya says the ANC must own up and examine its poor communication methods, the dominance of the Nguni group in its leadership, its weak political education and how its deployment policies have marginalised its veterans.
But Skweyiya, who joined Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) in the 1960s and is regarded as a party elder statesman, insists that despite all the ANC’s internal weaknesses he still does not understand why ”Shikota” was formed.
In a heartfelt interview Skweyiya said he had raised concerns with ANC president Jacob Zuma when he first told him in 2006 that he (Zuma) intended standing for the party’s presidency.
”I said we must be careful that other ethnic groups must also feel that they can produce leaders.
”My general view is that presidents cannot come only from provinces that border on the Indian Ocean [the Eastern and Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal]. We should manage our affairs to ensure that the Ngunis should not be the only ones leading the ANC.
”I feel strongly that we have not solved the national question – not just between whites and blacks, but among ourselves as Africans. I know this is not a popular view, but it’s a fact.
”So I pointed this out to JZ and he assured me; he said no problem, he would do only one term. He said he had spoken to Kgalema [Motlanthe] to take over after him.
”He assured me he agreed with me but that should not be a problem if he was serving only one term. So I was happy when he was quoted in a newspaper saying he would serve one term.”
Skweyiya said he had similar reservations about Shikota, which appeared to be driven mainly by Xhosas from the Eastern and Western Cape. ”The Xhosa element really worries me. I can say this because no one can accuse me of hating Xhosas.” Skweyiya’s first language is isiXhosa.
He said the party leadership had failed to communicate well after the ANC conference in Polokwane.
”After the unifying speech of Zuma, everybody was just speaking and anyone in the national executive committee felt they had a right to say as they wished. This annoyed people. I felt the authority of the secretary general and the spokesperson were weakened.
”There was also confusion between the ANC and its allies as it looked as if the leading role of the ANC and the final word of the president was being questioned.
”The recall of President Thabo Mbeki added fuel to the fire. It might not have been a wise move, but it was a majority view and it should be respected. But I do not feel they should have left the party.”
Skweyiya pointed out that there have been similar incidents in the past. When MK soldiers confronted the ANC leadership in exile because of their impatience to go to war in South Africa, the leadership expelled the outspoken Chris Hani from the party. Members were outraged, but did not quit the organisation.
”OR Tambo had to be recalled from the United States and the United Nations where he was busy with organisational work to deal with the situation. There was a real upheaval and comrades thought of many things, but OR provided quality leadership and ensured that policymaking had to be satisfactory to everyone.”
Skweyiya said he was also disappointed that many people who were leaving the ANC were doing so not because they disagreed with its ideology but because they disliked personalities.
”You don’t have to leave the ANC because you don’t like somebody. There have been many leaders we did not like, but we could not leave. We stood there and argued our ground.
”To be honest, the majority of the people in the camps did not like Joe Modise and preferred Chris Hani. But we said no, he [Modise] is there and you have to accept him.
”Zuma was democratically elected by conference. If they have any problems they should wait for the next conference to remove him.”
Skweyiya said that the ANC’s bad judgement in recent years included concentrating on government to the neglect of the ANC and being obsessed with foreign policy issues over social cohesion.
He spoke out about hierarchy in the party and how that had disadvantaged veteran ANC members. ”If you look at our MPs now – how many are old leaders from the Sixties and how many are MK cadres?
”It’s very painful to see some of our old cadres. Some have died as paupers right here in Gauteng. I can’t even recognise some of them because they are so thin and they are struggling. They are suffering in silence.
”These are people who took an oath even before JB Marks, Moses Kotane and OR Tambo to serve the people and to lay down their lives for the struggle. Our use of hierarchy in appointing people has resulted in us forgetting ordinary members.”
He took issue with Shikota leaders who joined the ANC after 1990 and were now grandstanding by leaving it.
”They should be asking themselves how come I am in this position when veterans of the ANC have been neglected.
But I am happy that none of our veterans and MK people is joining this thing.
”I was very much hurt when I saw these Shikota people tearing the ANC flag. Do they know that people went to the gallows carrying that flag?”
On Shikota he said the ANC should have tried harder to persuade them to stay and should not engage with them in a public slanging match.
”We should not undermine them, but at the same time we should not be scared of them. In the spirit of OR Tambo we should try to win over any one member who leaves and convince them that it is the ANC which will provide a better life for South Africans.”