Sports and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula.
The ANC from time to time has produced “factory faults”, which can be successfully addressed through the revolutionary council, says the head of the party’s subcommittee on organisational renewal Fikile Mbalula.
He was discussing the organisational renewal chapter of the ANC’s policy documents with journalists on Sunday, ahead of the party’s fifth national policy conference in June.
The document says the erosion of the character and capacity of the movement and the hollowing of out of the capacity of the democratic state must be reversed urgently.
The ANC believed this could be addressed through altering some of its electoral systems when selecting leaders for the 105-year old movement.
“The revolutionary electoral council will be able to say for all the nominations done, who are these people,” Mbalula said.
He added that these leaders in the ANC would pass judgement, guided by the prescripts of the ANC conventions and the “eye of the needle”.
The proposed new system would allow members to openly come out and declare their interest in the party’s presidency, which he said would then create room for members of the ANC to examine, interview and engage those nominated for top posts.
Mbalula also spent a lot of time speaking about the quality required of ANC national executive committee members, along with their responsibilities.
“Responsibility of political leadership at the level of the ANC NEC means you must think before you open your mouth,” he said.
‘The richest ones will be in power’
He added that leaders of the party at that level needed to provide leadership and direction to members of the ANC and society as a whole.
It was assumed that when someone was elected in the NEC they had impeccable credentials, he continued. He admitted that this was not always the case, as some in the NEC acted outside of what was expected of them.
“We elected you with confidence, but factory faults do occur,” said Mbalula.
“Factory faults happen anywhere in any organisation, any factory, and the ANC has produced such over time. Don’t bog me down as to who is a factory fault,” said Mbalula when asked if Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, who is also an NEC member, was one of those faults.
Mokonyane had recently drawn criticism over comments following South Africa’s economy being downgraded to junk status, after she said, at a rally in Germiston: “Let the Rand fall, we will pick it up.”
The ANC’s policy documents propose that the party moves to significantly reducing the size of the NEC, and that only 65% of them should be allowed to take up Cabinet positions.
Mbalula, focusing on the positive impact of openly expressing a desire to run for candidacy, said it would not undermine democratic processes, and that it would allow the party to know its leaders better.
“It’s time now, given the explosion, to begin to allow people to express themselves, because it’s going to be money exchanging hands and the richest ones will be in power,” he said. – News24