Joint statement of ANC KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Province
24 July 2017
The ANC KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provinces met in their join Provincial Working Committees to reflect on a number of issues confronting the movement in particular and revolution in general as we advance towards the 54th national conference.
Both Provincial Working Committees recognize and accept the profound significance of the unity and cohesion of the movement. We share a common position that without unity of the ANC and Alliance, the program of social transformation will be gravely compromised.
Both ANC KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga Provincial Executive Committees depart from the premise that the unity of the movement must take precedence over provincial parochial interests. Our movement has survived extreme pressure which sought and seeks to bring about a destruction of the African National Congress, which ultimately will bring about a defeat of the National Democratic Revolution.
Nevertheless, in this context and on daily basis, our movement must always develop the capacity to respond to these vicious attacks informed by a commitment to realize the strategic objectives of building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society.
We are emerging from this joint Provincial Working Committee united and unanimous in our view that everything we say and do, from now onwards, must be about deepening the National Democratic Revolution to build a National Democratic Society. This is more important, in our view, because the ANC exists primarily to serve the masses of our people.
We are unanimous on our view that even our regions must develop programs to share experiences in the course of running the organization and also consolidate our positions on all strategic policy matters leading to the 54th national conference.
The journey to the national conference is more complex and challenging and therefore requires a selfless leadership which places above all the fundamental interests of our people, to build a better life for all. This is a frame of mind that should obtain all of us going to the 54th national conference in December and beyond.
In this context, we share a common view that radical soci-economic transformation and organizational renewal remain the urgent and strategic tasks of the National Democratic Revolution to build a National Democratic Society. The structure and the ownership of the economy remains predominantly untransformed and largely at the hands of and dominated by White Monopoly Capital.
We are deeply concerned about ongoing onslaught and vicious attack directed at the ANC President comrade Jacob Zuma. As both collectives, we view this offensive as an agenda intended to dislodge the African National Congress.
We categorically reject any association and or proximity of any kind to any business interests or groupings, including the Guptas. The conduct of business in general and Gaptas in particular has been driven by a desire for profit maximization at all cost. As revolutionaries we must remain vigilant not and never to fall prey to their trick and influence at all material times.
Both KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces will work together to engage other provinces in order to ensure that the ANC emerges from the 54th national conference with the leadership collective reflecting the best cadres of the movement. We reject slates politics and will not be associated with anyone advancing a winner takes all principle.
The ANC is more important than all our individual interests. Together, we have a shared view that without the unity of the ANC there will be no progress on our revolution. We are emerging more committed to work with all other provinces for the unity of the movement.
Issued by Mdumiseni Ntuli and Sasekani Manzini, Provincial Spokespersons, ANC KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, 24 July 2017
