New civic organisation vows to unseat ANC

A new civic organisation is to take on the ANC in the next local government elections.

The Independent South African National Civic Organisation (I-Sanco) is led by former ANC MP Dr Zukile Luyenge, who says the ANC’s corrupt tendencies resemble that of “an old gogo who wants everything to herself, while starving the rest”. He said there was nothing that could be done to save it from “its ultimate demise”.

He said this at a meeting in East London’s Mzamomhle township over the weekend. Because of the Covid-19 regulations where gathering of more than 50 people are not allowed, only 42 delegates were able to attend the meeting.

Luyenge slammed civil servants accused of stealing Covid-19 relief funds, saying those who had done so had  undermined the constitution and the Bill of Rights.

“They have enriched themselves and undermined voters, and they care nothing about the people who deployed them to government. In most cases they undermine the constitution and Bill of Rights. The ANC is like an old grandmother who want everything for herself,” said Luyenge.

“We are going to campaign for votes next year.”

When asked by the Dispatch if they had any money to contest for elections, Luyenge said they invited donors to help them meet the financial requirements.

He said many municipalities were performing badly.

“Look at the manner in which the municipalities are failing the voters. All of them have high levels of corruption. It is inhuman what they are doing. We are overtaking the most corrupt countries in the world and in no time we are going to be champions of corruption if we stay with this current system.”

Luyenge accused the provincial government of being champions of corruption, but also took aim at OR Tambo district municipality, singling it out as the most corrupt municipality in the province. He vowed I-Sanco would bring meaningful change if elected into office next year.

“Stealing is not new in this province; comrades were stealing back in 1996, stealing funds from the school nutrition programme. We were there as Sanco but we chose to stand on the sidelines. We thought that everything would just be fine but that was a grave mistake,” he said.

He admitted he was part of an arrangement  of over-trusting the ANC and “the human beings that were there who were our leaders, forgetting they’ve got their own flaws”.

Luyenge said they left Sanco as it “undermined itself” by handing over its responsibilities to its ally, the ANC.

He reminded delegates that should they be elected into any position, they were the people’s servants and not the other way around. He said the current leaders were developing policies before they engaged with people.

 “We are going to implement what the people want. The problem is when you put together nice presentations and make pronouncements, you think people will be mesmerised by them without considering their own priorities.” 

One of the delegates was Asiphe Yalezo from OR Tambo region, who said they were in support of I-Sanco.

“We are fully behind our president and we don’t need people that will be fighting over positions, we need people who are there to serve the public.”

The organisation unveiled a new logo but used the Sanco slogan, “Through solidarity we progress.”

At the end of October I-Sanco will host its first national conference, when its leaders are expected to be presented.

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