ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for an end to “machinations” working in “dark corners” to weaken the ANC by seeking to divide its leaders and members.
Addressing delegates at Cosatu’s national congress in Midrand, Ramaphosa said the ANC alliance and its members should only be concerned with transforming the economy and not divisions.
His sentiments followed recent reports by the Sunday Times that a clandestine meeting was held between former President Jacob Zuma, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo, among others, in an attempt to unseat Ramaphosa.
Although he made no reference to the meeting, delegates were quick to connect Ramaphosa’s utterances to the events, shouting “Ace” as he addressed the issue.
“Machinations of weakening the ANC must come to an end, whether in dark corners. If there must be a course, it must be a course to end poverty in our country. If we are going to plan, let us invest our energies in transforming the economy than to plan divisions.…We cannot go to those elections with a divided leadership and membership,” he said, describing the attempts as counter-revolutionary.
He said the ANC’s Nasrec conference in 2017 had resolved to unite the party and its alliance partners, more so in light of the 2019 national elections.
“If there are motions to divide the membership of the ANC, that is counter the revolutionary. Just imagine we are going through a war of all wars and we start a war among ourselves … a united army is an army that goes to war united,” he said.
Cosatu delegates are expected to discuss its support for the ANC ahead of the 2019 elections among other issues.