Mbeki: ANC must use its provincial strongholds to win back South Africans
Former president Thabo Mbeki has urged the ANC to use its provincial strongholds to win back the hearts of South Africans who have lost faith in the party's ability to lead.
The party suffered a significant setback in the 2024 elections, forcing it to form a government of national unity with opposition parties to continue governing.
The May elections saw the ANC fall below 50% for the first time since the advent of democracy.
However, the party garnered a majority of votes in some provinces, including the North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga.
Mbeki spoke at the closing session of the ANC Gauteng’s renewal workshop on Sunday.
"To win back the confidence of South Africans, we need to address the challenges facing ordinary South Africans, such as crime, jobs, electricity and so on,” the former president said.
"Let us make sure that we use the capacity we have in those areas where we are in power to address exactly these matters.”
Mbeki said the 2024 election results are a threat to the democratic revolution and the ANC.
"This outcome constitutes a threat to the democratic revolution, constitutes the threat to the leader of that democratic revolution, the ANC and, therefore, the question that arises immediately is, what do we do to defend the ANC? We have to focus on and ensure that wherever the ANC serves in government, national, provincial and municipal levels, it turns the page and actually delivers the goods and services expected.”
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