Lesufi preaches love, unity at ANC conference, saying there’s no room for Panya-Panya and Adiwele
“In the absence of the ANC, this country will be doomed. This country will be difficult to run.”
This is what newly-elected ANC chair in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, told more than 1,000 delegates gathered for the second instalment of 14th ANC provincial conference, which is under way at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni.
Lesufi said newly elected office bearers met to prepare for the conference and took a decision that there was “no longer Panya-Panya and Adiwele (factions). We have the ANC.”
He was referring to himself trumping his political opponent human settlements MEC Lebogang Maile at the recent highly-contested provincial conference.
The party in the province had to break its provincial conference into two because of shambolic organisation of the first leg a fortnight ago. The only thing achieved on the agenda was electing provincial officials. Additional members were expected to be announced on Saturday night.
Lesufi said: “We took a decision that no-one has won, no-one has lost. The ANC has won. We cautioned that you can win a factional battle, but lose an electoral battle.”
He encouraged delegates to love one another. “We must cease unnecessary and meaningless hatred among ourselves. Our failure to love each other will be our downfall.
“We must end the inward-looking attitude that has crept into our movement and started to [put issues that affect our people] at the centre of everything we need to do.”
Lesufi said if delegates failed “to get the ANC right, we will struggle to get SA right. When you divide the ANC, you divide society.”
Taking a jab at opposition parties, he said: “They may try, they may form new formations, they may merge new formations and they may form coalitions, but the reality is there is only one movement for our people and that movement is the ANC.”
For the party to prosper, there were three things it needed to achieve.
“We must ensure those who love and vote for the ANC must continue to love and vote for the ANC, but we must not take advantage of their love for the ANC. We must ensure [that those who doubt the ANC come to love the ANC].
“We must make sure those who hate the ANC have no new reason to hate the ANC further.”
If these three goals were achieved, the ANC would be in pole-position to ensure it remained the party of choice for SA, said Lesufi.
The province was ready to reconvene the conference and conclude all outstanding elements thereof, he added.
“We want to urge you as delegates to play your part. To play your part is a small thing, let's respect each other in this conference, advertise the ANC in a manner that will make South Africans proud of us. It’s to ensure we behave in a manner that does not advance divisive conducts, factional interests, a winner-takes-all mentality.”
Lesufi said the party had 19 months to prepare for the next elections.
“Within that 19 months there is no time to point fingers at each other, we need a disciplined movement and members who will marshal us to victory in 2024.
“As we start this part of conference, let’s love each other. I want to urge that there are no super members, we are all members of the ANC and we must be treated equally.
“For the next two days, I know it’s difficult and painful, but I am pleading with you that there is no longer Panya-Panya or Adiwele in this conference. We have the ANC ... I hope we bury those slogans by the time we leave this conference. Unity will determine our future or it will destroy all of us.”
He also told delegates to refrain from singing divisive songs.
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