THE Congress of the People (Cope) has slammed ANC national chairman Gwede Mantashe for calling South Africans lazy people who sit and wait for service delivery.
Cope national committee member Pakes Dikgetsi said since 2009, the ANC has for 15 years been creating conditions for dependency syndrome.
“They pushed and bragged about 18,6 million people on the social security system. They punted it as a “good story to tell.
"Today, they turn around to blame the people for their lot. It's a shameful act of betrayal,” said Dikgetsi.
He said this was a classic case of Mantashe having his foot in the mouth again.
“To scapegoat the people and blame them for their appalling economic situation is an admission of failure by the ANC government to improve the conditions of life of the majority. It's the ANC’s failure that 48% of the population is considered poor in a middle-income country,” he said.
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Speaking at the ANC 2019 manifesto review in Buffalo City at the weekend, Mantashe said Mzansi people were lazy and blamed this on what he called a passive democracy that created passive citizens.
"One of the mistakes we've committed over the years is creating a passive society. People who cannot do anything for themselves, people who sit and wait for service deliver," the eNCA quoted him as saying.
Dikgetsi said the ANC had reached a “policy cul-de-sac” and had reached its sell-by date.
He said the ruling party’s National Development Plan, which aims to ensure that all South Africans attain a decent standard of living through the elimination of poverty and reduction of inequality, will not reach its 2030 targets.
He said the economy was stagnant, with no immediate inclusive growth prospects under the ANC regime.
“No amount of lies, deception and betrayal will ever salvage it. We call on all people, the unemployed, workers and the middle classes, to rise against this single force of regression, destruction, and hopelessness. The future of our children is not safe in their hands. Register to vote in large numbers to get them out of power,” said Dikgetsi.
