Internal squabbles, factions remain threat to ANC survival - Mokonyane

Joemat-Pettersson died at her home in Cape Town on Monday evening at the age of 59.

She had served as MEC for Education from 1994 and also headed various cabinet portfolios.

At the time of her passing, Joemat-Pettersson was chair of the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on Police, having served as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Minister of Energy previously.

The party held a memorial service for her in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Joemat-Pettersson's passing has been a subject of fierce debate since suspended Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane accused her and other ANC MPs of soliciting a bribe from the husband to make her inquiry go away.

The cause of her death remains unclear.

Her passing comes as the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) is preparing to hold the 13th National Conference at Nasrec this weekend.

ANC Northern Cape chairperson Zamani Saul said the province had already started mobilising for her to be elected the ANCWL deputy president.

Saul defined her as a revolutionary who had a deep sense of love for her sons  Austin and Terrence.

"We love comrade Tina, we are inspired by her life of service, we are inspired by her humility and we are inspired by her intellect, we are born of a courage moulded by her resilience and guided by her fighting spirit despite all that is said about her I believe that comrade Tina’s work and love for others are some of the basic ingredients that must define the re-birth and renewable of our movement,” said Saul.

Mokonyane echoed his sentiments, urging members to return to their January 8 commitments.

"In honour of comrade Tina, we call on the ANCWL to go to the conference and come back and carry the responsibility of Charlotte Maxeke, Mittah Seperepere, Ruth Mompati and defend the gains of our revolution, fight patriarchy, fight for non-sexism, fight racism and ensure that the African National Congress emerge victoriously in the coming elections.

"In her honour, we need to make sure that all of us, starting with ourselves as officials of the ANC, the entire National Executive Committee of the ANC and the membership, that we commit to what we shared with the nation and the world emanating from the January 8 statement for 2023, that the ANC acknowledges that we are at a moment of fundamental consequence in the life of our nation."

Mokonyane highlighted the various crises facing South Africans, to which the ANC had committed to delivering services.

"Across the country, people are going through tough times, they are increasingly losing hope of ever finding employment and those trying to act out a living in the informal sector are facing harassment and red tape, the energy crisis undermines economic growth and investment prospects, and persistent loadshedding destroys businesses and compromises the production of food and the provision of social services, such as water and sanitation, community safety, education and health," said Mokonyane.

"We owe it to the legacy of selfless struggle and the lifelong commitment displayed by Tina.

"We must appreciate comrades, that our internal party squabbles and factional fights are the biggest threats to the survival and renewal of the ANC.

"We must in action and words, provide a seductive thesis to society on why we remain the most capable and reliable agent of social transformation and change in South Africa.

"We must renew the promise of better life for all, and instil a new sense of hope within society, that tomorrow will be better than today.

"To do that, we must immediately stabilise our energy availability and arrest the deterioration in levels and quality of services, and deal with GBV against women and children," she added.

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