David Mabuza's message to racists: Stop it already!

ANC deputy president David Mabuza on Thursday added his voice in condemning the recent alleged racist incidents that caused racial tension in the country.

Speaking to ANC supporters in Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal, Mabuza said the ANC “cannot allow the country to go back to the dark period of apartheid”.

Mabuza was referring to an incident which saw private security guards ask beach-goers at Clifton Fourth beach in Cape Town to leave the area after sunset. One of those asked to leave the beach was Western Cape ANC secretary Faiez Jacobs, who was there with his family.

“We (ANC) seem to be veering away from our strategic objectives, because when the ANC was founded we said we want to create a non-racial South Africa.

“Everyday we hear racial remarks. In certain areas some people were denied going to the beach recently. We can’t allow South Africa to go back to that dark period,” said the country’s deputy president.

Mabuza, however, lauded the community of Stanger for “coming together”.

“Here we have black, coloured and Indian together. This is the kind of South Africa we fought for, keep it up,” he said.

However, the community was more concerned about lack of jobs and poverty.

Mabuza admitted that the ANC government had not “done well” in strengthening the economy and creating jobs.

He attributed the limping economy to the previous administration’s running of state-owned enterprises.

“ Some people have looted the resources of government. We are here to bring back credibility to these institutions. The strength of the country lies behind its own institutions.”

“We owe it to our people and we have the capacity to build those (institutions) ,” he added. He also gave a sneak peak into the party’s manifesto, which will be delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday.

“We are acknowledging where we went wrong, we accept our failures and we commit to correct, and we will also speak on the renewal of the ANC,” he said.

Mabuza said the renewal and unity of the ANC would lead to a better-functioning government, strengthening of SOEs, and job creation.