Bheki Cele warns that ruling party needs divine intervention

ANC heavyweight Bheki Cele said that the ruling party did not have the endorsement of Jesus Christ‚ and that hubris in the run-up to the 2019 general elections would result in its downfall.

President Jacob Zuma has previously held that the ANC would rule until Jesus' second coming‚ a narrative which Cele venomously undercut at the podium.

"We will only continue to rule if we are humble‚" Cele added.

"The reason the ANC is losing votes is because the people say we have social distance‚ arrogance‚ that we are corrupt and because of factionalism."

He used the platform to take aim at Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma‚ her former husband's tainted relationship with the Gupta family and factionalism eroding the support base of the ANC. "We are going to elect a president for the ANC‚ we have already elected a president for the [ANC] woman's league‚" he said to applause from the crowd.

The former police commissioner also levelled his sights at the Gupta family and said that no one had been held accountable for the Waterkloof Airforce Base debacle.

In 2013 a private jet chartered by the family and filled with guests attending a lavish wedding landed at the base.

"I was once police commissioner and I've never landed on a military base before‚ but people who just came to get married get to land at our bases. They land there‚ they get escorted by blue lights [vehicles] to their wedding‚" he said. "These people [the Guptas] came‚ got married and then didn't go home. Apparently they have a habit of calling ministers to their home and asking them what they have‚" Cele said.

Cele had made veiled reference to his support of Cyril Ramaphosa‚ who is contesting in the race for party leadership against Dlamini-Zuma.

"I don't support anyone because I haven't nominated anyone yet. I support the ANC in following the tradition of electing deputy presidents [who later become president]‚" he added.