Zuma preaches unity at #ANCKZN conference

President Jacob Zuma on Saturday told delegates at the ANC’s 8th Provincial Conference that the people of KwaZulu-Natal were not interested in leadership squabbles affecting the party.

“The ordinary people of KwaZulu-Natal are interested neither in our factional battles nor in who will assume leadership position(s) in this conference.

"They are not interested in who can argue better, who can render revolutionary slogans the most or toi-toi better than others.”

Zuma told the delegates that it was the organisation that people cared about.

“It is not the individuals. They don’t care about how bright the individuals can be, if the organisation is not there; forget about it.

“If I believe that I am a powerful leader and that there is no one else that is more powerful as me ,then I have missed the point.

"But if I believe that I belong to the most powerful organisation or movement, I have won the battle and the war.”

Zuma said ANC members should put the organisation first.

“Divisions say something about people and their organisations. People are only interested in whether or not the ANC that will emerge out of the conference is capable of fulfilling their legitimate expectations…”

Zuma said the people of KZN were looking at conference for answers on how service delivery could be accelerated.

He said conference should be used to reflect.

“They should be used to take stock of how far we have come, where we have had shortcomings and where we have succeeded and how to proceed… People are expecting this organisation to have answers.”

He said the party had experienced all sorts of challenges.

“But we have always come out stronger and stronger. No challenge has ever been too great to the extent that it would spell the end of the ANC despite some within our ranks saying so.”

Zuma said unity and discipline were the cornerstone on which the ANC was founded.

“We need to jealously guard the unity in the ANC and not do anything to compromise it…”

He told delegates not to undermine the unity in the organisation.

“The ANC is the hope of the people that is why they worry when there is trouble in the organisation…They don’t care about smaller parties, it’s not their business,” said Zuma.

Source: News24