Zuma uses Madiba's birthday to campaign

ANC president Jacob Zuma has used world icon Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday in his campaign to reach the ruling party's membership target of 1million.

Less than six months before the ANC's centenary celebrations in January, Zuma said it would "pull out all stops" to revive the party's membership and intensify a recruitment drive to ensure that it had a million card-carrying members.

Speaking at the historic Lilliesleaf Farm, in Rivonia, Johannesburg - where David Moet, who fronted as the farm's caretaker, and other ANC Rivonia trialists sought refuge from the apartheid state - Zuma said the party was upbeat about the Imvuselelo campaign, code-named The M-plan. He said that the party leadership and current members should heed the call to recruit fiercely.

The launch of the campaign, said Zuma, was in honour of Madiba who "fought tirelessly" not only for the ANC but for the country and the world.

"The drive is also in commemoration of Madiba's famous M-Plan, the underground recruitment campaign that created a network that ensured dynamic contact with the membership despite the repression of the 1950s."

The current recruitment drive was in line with a resolution taken at the 1942 ANC national conference, which directed that the party should have a million members.

With the ANC's membership having grown from 741112 at the time of September's national general council meeting in Durban to a current total of 914852, Zuma said the party was close to reaching its target, but it would nevertheless "work around the clock to achieve the goal".

The ANC had registered growth of 198057 members in only 10 months.

"The recruitment programme will therefore be anchored on two main pillars: a massive recruitment campaign targeting new potential members on the one hand, and a focus on political education on the other," Zuma said.

He added that the campaign would teach party members to adhere to the principles of unity, selfless service, collective leadership, democratic centralism, internal debates, humility, honesty, hard work, constructive criticism and self-criticism, discipline and mutual respect.

"These are all part of the traditions of the movement ... Every member, every cadre, every branch and every structure will be seized with this very important task guided by the adage that 'Every member is an organiser'," said Zuma, who was joined by ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe, party chairman Baleka Mbete and deputy secretary-general Thandi Modise.

The party has assembled a team that will work with all its structures in the provinces and regions.

In recent months, especially during the build-up to the May local government elections, the ANC has faced internal revolts over nominations. Some members in Eastern Cape took the party to court.

Zuma warned that an increase in membership should be coupled with discipline.

"We have to ensure that our growth in numbers does not change the character of the ANC," he said.

Zuma later travelled to Mandela's home in Qunu, Eastern Cape, "to give him the good news that his organisation is growing".

"The ANC is immensely proud to have Madiba as its leader. We are proud to share his legacy with all our people and the world today, on Nelson Mandela International Day."