"ASIBASABI, futhi asina mona, sithi wozani,"
With these words, the President of the African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, addressed the opposition parties, which wanted to challenge the party in this year’s general elections.
Ramaphosa was speaking to thousands of people at the Mbombela Stadium this afternoon to mark the 112th anniversary of the ANC.
He said those who keep claiming that the ANC will not be able to get 50% of the vote in the elections obviously do not know the party very well.
“They don’t know the ANC of Luthuli, the ANC of Mandela," he said.
He said the tasks for 2024, the National Executive Committee has decided that the six tasks announced in the 2023 January 8th Statement should also be the focus of their movement in 2024.
He said that given that the country will hold its seventh national and provincial elections in 2024, their overarching priority is to work for a decisive electoral victory for the ANC to give it a clear mandate to continue the transformation of our country.
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“With a decisive victory in the 2024 elections, the ANC is poised to launch a formidable campaign that will engage with citizens and every sector of society to get a decisive mandate from the people to continue driving the transformation project forward.
“The ANC has worked with the people over the past 30 years to liberate South Africa from the yoke of apartheid and improve the lives of millions of people like no other party. No other party has both a clear vision for a better, fairer society and the capacity to realise it.
"The ANC remains the party of choice for all who want to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa," he said.
On the issue of coalitions, Ramaphosa said the frustrating experience of dysfunctional coalition governments had shown that they do not work for the people, but for the policy makers who want to advance their own personal interests.
He said service delivery suffers while the development agenda comes to a standstill.
“It is therefore imperative that the progressive forces, led by the ANC, fight for a clear majority to ensure stability and sustainable progress in our country. We call on all ANC members and supporters to go to every farm, village and township, city and suburb to account to the people as we seek a new democratic mandate to defend and advance the gains of three decades of freedom,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would launch its election manifesto next month, setting out its vision and programme for taking the country forward over the next five years and beyond.
