ANC celebrations focus on leadership
President Jacob Zuma says principles, and not names, must guide ANC members when they decide on a new party leadership.
Zuma was delivering the party's January 8 statement, a day after the ANC Women's League broke ranks to officially endorse Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as the next leader of the ANC.
President Zuma, delivering what could be his last January 8 statement, told supporters that divisive tendencies such as factionalism, gatekeeping and manipulation of the internal processes exists at all levels of the ANC.
"Our people have told us that we come across as too busy fighting one another and do not pay sufficient attention to their needs. We must give our people hope. We must unite against our common enemies which are unemployment, poverty and inequality and not against one another," says Zuma.
Zuma says as the ANC moves closer to its elective conference in December, all structures need to prepare and discuss the principles that qualify people for leadership positions.
He says the party will correct the mistakes that led to its poor performance at last polls.
"We urge that the power of ANC branches must not be undermined by slates and lobby groups," says Zuma.
Succession battle
ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe expressed his dissatisfaction over the decision by the ANC Women's League, to publicly announce their support for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as candidate for presidency of the ANC and South Africa.
The league says it based its decision on Dlamini-Zuma's experience in local, continental and global politics.
But Mantashe says the league's announcement is premature.
"That name is out there, but the reality of the matter is undermining the the process of the organisation is unacceptable," says Mantashe.
This comes after trade union federation Cosatu announced their support for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to take over the reins in November.