Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel.
In a report on the South African Broadcasting Corporation radio on Thursday, South African Communist Party (SACP) deputy general secretary Cronin said that Minister in the Presidency Manuel's comments were taken out of context.
“Let's see what [the] comrade was actually saying … which weren't on the banner headlines: we need a strong and effective government [and] we will not be able to reverse the effects of apartheid on the opportunities available to all South Africans," quoted Cronin, who was speaking in Cape Town on Wednesday evening.
Manuel's remarks were intended to encourage civil servants to be proactive in delivering services, said Cronin.
Last week Manuel said it was time for government to take responsibility for its actions.
"We [government] should no longer say it's apartheid's fault," Manuel told reporters at the government leadership summit in Pretoria.
"We should get up every morning and recognise we have responsibility. There is no longer the Botha regime looking over our shoulder, we are responsible ourselves."
Manuel told reporters at the time that in 1994, 1995 and 1996, government could perhaps have said "we don't have the experience", but as the country approached two decades of democracy this was no longer an excuse.
Zuma's response
On Wednesday, President Jacob Zuma said it was impossible to see complete change in just 20 years. The damage done by apartheid would be with the country for some time, he said.
"To suggest we cannot blame apartheid for what is happening in our country now, I think is a mistake to say the least," Zuma said at the 20th anniversary of SACP leader Chris Hani's assassination.
"We don't need to indicate what it is apartheid did. The fact that the country is two in one, you go to any city there is a beautiful part and squatters on the other side. This is not the making of democracy and we can't stop blaming those who caused it," said Zuma. – Sapa