Q&A with The Rev Frank Chikane
ANC veterans held their consultative conference recently, but all thoughts are on the elective conference next month. Chris Barron asked The Rev Frank Chikane ...
Do you think the elective conference will happen?
My view is that they’re planning to have a conference and the conference should happen.
What if it doesn’t?
We work on the basis that it will. Most provinces have done what they need to do. There are two provinces or so that are still struggling, but we are hoping that they will go over that hump.
Do you have a plan B for if it does not happen, or is collapsed?
No. We work on the basis that it is going to go ahead.
Haven’t you yourself expressed doubts about that?
No. Only about what could happen at the conference. The conference has to take place. It is planned to take place and must take place. It’s a constitutional requirement. I donot expect anybody not to make it happen. There are other issues about the conference, but the conference must take place.Are you concerned about the buying of delegates?
We have expressed that concern, yes. Any leader who will buy delegates to go and vote for them is a dangerous leader. That type of leader is corrupt in the first place, and we don’t want corrupt leaders in our system.
In the second place, if they can corrupt the ANC election then they will corrupt thenational election as well. They will have no qualms about that. If they can buy delegates they will go and buy an election officer.
How would you respond if it is clear delegates have been bought and it results in a corrupt outcome?
If the members fail to stop this rot in December then the people will stop them in 2019. Because the people of this country will not allow another group of corrupt people to lead them. It is not going to be possible. If it does happen the ANC is dead.
If a corrupt leadership is elected in December, would you support a breakaway from the ANC?
There has been no decision about that by the veterans. But the people of South Africa will stop any ANC that consists of corrupt leaders or compromised leaders.
In 2019 they will stop that ANC. So it is in the interests of members to elect people who are clean, who are not compromised, who have not been involved in any form of statecapture...
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