The ANC has promised that its government will take further steps to clean up the public service by taking tough action against lazy and corrupt government officials and politicians.
In its prepared January 8 statement, the party says that, in addition to action already taken by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the government will not hesitate to act against wrongdoers.
Ramaphosa made changes to his cabinet last year, removing some of those ministers linked to state capture, as well as changes to the boards of state-owned companies. Former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba resigned last year to avoid being fired after the courts and the public protector found he had lied under oath.
However, Ramaphosa's commitment to fixing the government has been questioned as he has failed to act against minister of women Bathabile Dlamini, who was also found to have lied under oath and is under investigation for perjury.
"Ours is a legacy of selfless service to the people. The organisation and the country will not tolerate those who give substandard service or use public resources for their own selfish gains," the ANC statement reads.
Speaking to thousands of party supporters who filled up Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban yesterday, Ramaphosa said he would not tolerate a government that fails its citizens.
"SA will not succeed if our efforts to rebuild the country are not supported by a capable public service. Public servants implement the transformative projects that change lives . We cannot and will not allow situations where the government fails South Africans," he said.
Ramaphosa said the ANC has to acknowledge that effective governance has been undermined and that corruption and state capture contributed to the poor performance of the country.
"Even as we applaud the great progress that has been made, we must acknowledge that mistakes have been made and that in some areas transformation has stalled," Ramaphosa said.
He said the ANC admits its shortcomings and accepts the criticism levelled against it.
"We must also acknowledge that factionalism and patronage have diminished the ability of the ANC to lead the process of transformation and fulfil its mandate to the people," Ramaphosa told the crowd.
In the build-up to the rally, Ramaphosa repeatedly told communities he interacted with that the past few years have been very difficult for the party and the government.
The party's January 8 statement hails public servants who perform their tasks diligently, but says those who lead to deterioration in the quality of services and assistance rendered will not be tolerated.
The statement says South Africans have seen how the ANC lost its way and witnessed the effects of state capture as institutions were undermined, public funds plundered and investor confidence declined.
"They voiced their concern and their anger; as the ANC we heard their cries and we listened to their pleas. Most importantly, we acted decisively to correct our mistakes and address our weaknesses," reads the statement...