Durban — ANC presidential hopeful Dr Zweli Mkhize said his focus was going to be on the poor and marginalised should he be elected to the post.
Mkhize made the promise during the Oliver Tambo Memorial Lecture, held at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Saturday.
Attending the memorial lecture were Women’s League President Bathabile Dlamini, Ekurhuleni ANC leader Mzwandile Masina, KZN ANC spokesperson Mafika Mndebele, ANC alliance partners Cosatu, SACP, Sanco and other leaders.
Continuing on his resolve to fight for the poor, Mkhize said: “We must all fight to alleviate poverty, food insecurity, crime, and income insecurity, wealth gaps, access to health care and clean water, and efficient energy.
“We have a high unemployment rate, soaring to levels last seen during the apartheid era. Fuel and food prices are raging uncontrollably high. Poverty has once again returned to decimate even those whose lives had improved at the end of apartheid.”
He said the elimination of crimes such as violent attacks, murders, rape and gender-based violence would make our homes and townships secure and bring true freedom.
“Free education as stipulated in the freedom charter must remain our goal to ensure no African child fails to be developed to their highest potential due to intergenerational poverty and social circumstances of underdevelopment and marginalisation of their parents.”
He added that access to quality health for all the people of our country irrespective of the ability to pay or income levels had to be accepted as a right.
Mkhize said there was a need to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Insurance and save many lives from dying of communicable diseases such as TB, HIV and Aids and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, cancer and others.
“Basic access to safe water and sanitation remain urgent and this prevents diseases, saves lives and restores the dignity of our people. We have to appeal that, while expressing dissatisfaction, communities should not destroy infrastructure and services that they have already acquired.”
He said the ANC did not belong to those who abused the authority of their positions for self-enrichment.
“End the use of money and allow branches and delegates to express their will. The patience of the people will not last, while some live in mansions in Constantia or Hyde Park while the majority live in appalling conditions in Khayelitsha and Alex.”
“End load shedding by fixing Eskom and making it clear that South Africa has the technical expertise to solve the load shedding.”
“As leaders of the ruling party, we must accept our failures, apologise and commit to doing things differently to restore the hope of our people in the ANC.”
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said: “The historic mission of the ANC has always been crystal clear. It was always about the total liberation of black people in general and Africans in particular. Total emancipation encompasses economic and cultural freedom. Both these have been abandoned since (Cyril) Ramaphosa took over.
“Right there is no pretence with regard to what is the preoccupation of the current leadership. If anything the role of capital in the affairs of the ANC has become disastrous to its historic mission. Dr Mkhize’s address was a clarion call demanding that the party of liberation to return to its original mandate.”
Daily News