COMRADE NJ 'S INPUT
Comrades.
As we meet here today let everyone know that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of the African National Congress.
United, there is little we cannot do in a host of co-operative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do, for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder.
As we move towards the NGC itself under the banner:
ANC: PEOPLE"S REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT FOR TRANSFORMATION: FORWARD TO THE AFRICAN CENTURY.
We should focus and harness our cadreship at all levels and in all centers to take forward this task of building the movement as a vehicle and agent of our people for change.
There are three discussion papers aimed at raising the issue and stimulating debate in the structures of the movement and amongst our cadres and members.
The first one is titled THE TASK OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION AND THE MOBILISATION OF THE MOTIVE FORCES.
Between now and July 11 we must work hard.
Together with our members in branches, regions and other structures we must thoroughly consider the ANC's role as a 'People's Revolutionary Movement for Transformation' in South Africa, on the African continent and globally.
We must begin discussing the strategic organisational and political issues facing the ANC.
It is our responsibility as leaders to ensure that all members and cadres of the movement understand the character and nature of the ANC as a revolutionary movement.
Comrades, we should also ensure that we build a common understanding of the present context in which we operate.
A common understanding of the contending views in our society, the motive forces and how as a movement we engage with these views in our society and more effectively mobilise and organise the motive forces.
We need to ask the question: Does the ANC sufficiently champion the cause of the rural and urban poor, the working people, women, the youth, and the disabled?
These, comrades, are some of the issues we need to debate in our branches and our regions.
The other paper is titled: ANC - People's Movement and Agent
for Change
Experience over the past six years has thrown up many challenges
regarding the ANC's role as an agent for change in the current phase.
The movement has succeeded in setting South African society on a course of transformation. It has defined the main tasks of society and particularly the motive forces of change.
While decisive progress has been made, the questions remain: have there been missed opportunities? Have the constraints been fully understood and confronted?
Does the movement have the cadreship to carry out its objectives on all fronts? In this regard, the issue of maintaining and deepening the revolutionary traditions of the organisation has frequently been raised.
What are these attributes? What are the conditions under which they evolved, and how do these compare to the conditions today?
We also need to touch on the organisational' priorities. These include the activation of branches and members to serve as a vanguard of their communities.
To strengthen the Tri-partite Alliance and build an active broad front for transformation. The last paper is titled: Uprooting the Demon of Racism.
Generally, racism refers to a system of belief that discriminates against people on the basis of certain physical attributes or origins.
Popular usage also refers to situations in which people make social distinctions between members of groups, who look physically different, speak a different language, different religions/faiths or belong to separate nations.
The first step towards uprooting this demon is to intensify the political discourse on racism at a branch level and amongst all sectors of our society.
Secondly, we need to build and work for the development of a national consensus on the path towards the creation of a truly democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous country and nation.
Finally Comrades we need to ensure that there are cadre development programmes including induction of new members and executive structures.
There is also a need for more political discussions and general political engagements that help deepen the cadres' political understanding.
I know that the credentials breakdown may lead to acrimonious debate. Our province will be represented by the 18 PEC members; 14 regional chairpersons and secrataries, two veterans as well as 50 branch delegates.
Let this not cause bitterness amongst those unable to make the trip to Port Elizabeth. Comrades, let me say that I will be glad if you argue and disagree on the three papers I mentioned earlier.
You will be doing so as democrats. I will be glad if you argue about the composition of the delegation.
We must encourage debate. It is healthy. But that debate must not generate into mudslinging and thus undermine unity.
Let's face it. Let's talk sense to our members. Let's tell them the truth. Our members are wiser than we think. And the ANC is the people's movement.
Not the movement of businesspeople, the movement for the get-rich-quick, the movement for the opportunists. It is not the party of the populist. It is the people's party.
Something else. There is a need to root out all the wrong, corrupted and opportunistic elements inside and outside of our structures and those of government.
Particularly as we approach the local government elections. I see that the so-called opposition in the province has formed what it calls the Alternative.
Their aim, I am told, is to ensure that they defeat us at the local government polls.
There are going to be bitter scraps comrades. Particularly amongst those who joined the ANC for personal enrichment. They may just become ALTERNATIVES.
The President was right when he reminded us that we did not struggle for nice car or police to salute you. Surely comrades we did not struggle to be deployed to Parliament or the Legislature. We struggled to improve the lives of our people.
In Mpumalanga we currently have 83 municipalities with about 880 councillors. That has been cut down to 19 municipalities with 350 councillors. There has been an audit of councillors.
May I appeal to Comrades that the audit must only serve as a guide and not as a tool for exclusion of those we don't agree with.
But those who have been proven to be corrupt or are not illegible for election because of this or the other misdemeanor, must be excluded. Whatever we do must be in the interest of the ANC and its objectives.
Comrades we are called upon to build and defend the ANC. I do not shrink from this responsibility; I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would neglect this duty.
The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our province and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the country and the world.
Our efforts will strengthen our movement immeasurably in the hard, the implacable work that lies ahead of all of us.
In your hands, comrades, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. We must, as leaders, show a high degree of political cohesiveness. We must be able to give leadership to our branches, our regions and the province.
Since this organisation was founded, each generation of South Africans has been summoned to give testimony to its loyalty. Now the trumpet summons us again to bear the burden of a long struggle against poverty, disease and want.
Please join me in that historic effort.
I thank you.