Those saying ANC will lose power 'are dreaming,' says David Mabuza

David Mabuza believes the ANC party will hang on to power in 2024.
David Mabuza believes the ANC party will hang on to power in 2024.
Image: GCIS.

ANC deputy president David Mabuza is adamant that the party will retain power in the 2024 general elections.

While the party's declining performance at the last polls suggested that the ruling party was hanging on to its position by a whisker, Mabuza on Thursday brazenly proclaimed that those who say the ANC will be voted out of power are 'dreaming'.

“We are going to save the ANC. Those who are saying the ANC will be voted out of power, I think they are dreaming. We’re still yet to show them that this ANC can change, the ANC can self-correct, we know our mistakes, we are going to correct our mistakes,” Mabuza said.

He was speaking at a Peter Mokaba memorial lecture in Polokwane, Limpopo, on Thursday.

Mabuza said he had heard a notion that the party was on its deathbed but he said he did not agree.

“Many people are talking about the burial of the ANC in 2024,  I can hear them. Some opposition parties are talking about our death, that the ANC is about to die, I don't believe that,” Mabuza said.

This as the party fights claims of corruption, with some of its top brass being implicated in  state capture and corruption at the Zondo commission of inquiry into the state capture, where their criminality was laid bare for all to see.

The commission exposed a corruption network, especially under the leadership of former president Jacob Zuma, where party leaders reportedly stole state money through corrupt dealing with questionable business people, including the infamous Gupta family.

State-owned companies were looted at the height of state capture, especially SAA, Eskom and Denel.

According to experts, the damning Zondo report will lead to the ANC becoming even less popular and was most likely see it lose power in the next elections.

For the ANC, Mabuza had words of encouragement: “If we want all those voters who are now undecided whether to vote for the ANC or not, we must do things differently, we must change our ways. 

“When you wear that black, green and gold you must know that you represent the image of this movement. Whatever you do in whatever corner, if you are wearing this black, green and gold — respect it.”

Mabuza said that the party had to be wary of the “demons” of corruption and factionalism that had seen people fight over leadership positions.

“The only demons that have crept in since 1994 that seek to affect the ANC is factionalism within the ranks and corruption. Those are two demons we must fight,” Mabuza said.

“Factionalism and fighting for positions is because if I am chair of a branch, I stand a good position to be a councillor. If I’m a chair of a region, I stand a chance to be the mayor. If I’m chair of a province I stand a good chance of being a premier, then we fight to be in these positions. That must stop,” he said. 

Mabuza pointed out that there was no problem with lobbying for certain leaders at ANC conferences but “the factions and lobby groups should not continue beyond the said conferences” as they were divisive.

“We are allowed to lobby, to choose your leader, and when the conference ends, that conference that will elect leaders, at the end of that conference, all lobby groups must just disband,” he said. “Because we have achieved what we want to achieve, conference is the final arbiter.

“We can't keep these factions perpetual, they divide us. We even call ourselves names, that we are Talibans for life, we are Boko Harams for life ... These are not good names, these are thugs. Boko Haram is killing people in Nigeria, why do you call yourself Boko Haram? It’s not good,” he said.

Mabuza said this must apply when the party heads to its national elective conference in December where he is expected to seek a second term as party’s deputy president.


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