'President Ramaphosa should be given time and space': Limpopo, Eastern Cape ANC defend Ramaphosa

More ANC leaders have come to President Cyril Ramaphosa's defence after three ex-presidents criticised his tenure over the weekend. 

This week the ANC leadership in Limpopo and Eastern Cape defended Ramaphosa after “attacks” on him by former presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Jacob Zuma. 

Ramaphosa’s predecessors, at separate public engagements over the weekend, criticised him regarding the rising cost of living, unemployment, the problems at Eskom and the alleged theft of millions in undisclosed foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm.

ANC Limpopo provincial secretary Reuben Madadzhe called on former presidents to desist from publicly attacking Ramaphosa.

He said the concerns should be raised within the organisation. 

“While we respect that former presidents have the constitutional right to express their views, we are however of the firm view that such expression should better be raised within structures of the organisation,” said Madadzhe in a statement. 

He said former presidents sit on the party's national executive committee, where they could raise their concerns.

“President Ramaphosa should be given time and space to lead both the ANC and the state. The ANC in Limpopo appreciates that there are challenges facing both the ANC and government, however, such problems cannot be attributed to President Ramaphosa,” Madadzhe said.

“The ANC Limpopo is calling upon former presidents to desist from publicly attacking President Ramaphosa, and instead to assist through correct channels to strengthen the party and the government of the day.

“We shall continue to respect former presidents as they remain the beacon of hope for the movement.” 

ANC Eastern Cape chairperson Oscar Mabuyane said the route the three ex-presidents took to address the issues was unfortunate and destructive.

Instead of criticising Ramaphosa and the ANC, Mbeki, Motlanthe and Zuma should assist the governing party to resolve its challenges.

“These challenges are not new, they are not for this current leadership, including the current president of the ANC. These are challenges the ANC has been inheriting over years, so we should take collective responsibility to a certain extent and see how best we can find a panacea to address these problems,” said Mabuyane.

“What we have just observed is very unfortunate, actually destructive, really bordering on something that we should not really witness as the younger generation of the ANC.” 

Mabuyane appealed to the former presidents to “assist us and bring value to the ANC”. He said all its leaders must take responsibility. 

“We defended all these presidents. No president went through smooth sailing during their term. [The] ANC has been defending them but we can't defend wrong. Where wrong things have been done, individuals must take that collective responsibility and the current president has done that.”

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal also slammed criticism of Ramaphosa, with provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo saying it was eroding the party's standing.

“While we respect their rights, as enshrined in the constitution, of the freedom of speech, we respectfully request our leaders to exercise restraint.

“We call upon leaders of our movement to use the right channel to raise whatever frustration they have with the ANC instead of attacking the ANC, its government and its leadership in public,” he said.

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