Don’t sulk‚ talk to the ANC: Mantashe to party veterans

28 October 2016 - 16:26 By Tmg Digital

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe says veterans should talk to the party instead of sulking on the sidelines. “It becomes a problem when veterans of the ANC say the ANC is loosing moral high ground‚” he told CapeTalk on Friday.Mantashe was responding to an open letter to party leaders‚ including President Jacob Zuma‚ signed by 101 ANC stalwarts‚ among them former cabinet ministers‚ political advisers and activists. The letter was published after they had written to the party to voice their concerns but got an unsatisfactory response.The trust built up by the party over years was now “severely under threat” they warned‚ and spoke out in support of Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.Mantashe said: “The reality is that the ANC is in the process of engaging society. We are doing this quite energetically; we are talking to people all over and the response is actually promising.”He said the ANC had written back to the 101 veterans and urged them to approach the party in an organised and structured fashion. The letter‚ he added‚ was authored by the Reverend Frank Chikane. The ANC was undergoing a process of introspection and talking to people. “Veterans of the ANC must be helpful in that situation and not sulk in the sidelines‚” he said.Acknowledging the party faced problems‚ Mantashe said: “You can’t bottle feelings of people when there are problems. We are going through a period where people will explode from time to time and that process must help the ANC heal itself.”..

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