Fikile Xasa, ANC veteran and MEC cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC, has lashed out at Jacob Zuma sympathisers, who he accused of making moves to form a political party comprising thieves who wanted to dismantle the ruling ANC.
He accused some ANC members, traditional and church leaders of backing the breakaway umbutho wamasela (organisation of thieves).
Xasa, speaking at an event in Butterworth, said those lobbying for a new party were a bunch of thieves who are sympathising with other thieves.
He said it was worrying that church and traditional leaders – people who were suppose to instill moral fibre in the society – were being used by people with low morals to achieve mischievous goals.
The ANC should quickly condemn ANC members who were involved in the formation of this new party, he added.“There are people who are taking exception to the calls being made that the ANC as an organisation distances itself from any corrupt activities or corrupt actions.
“There are people who are seemingly resisting and promoting something that says you are innocent until proven guilty. In the process they are destroying the image of the ANC.
“As a disciplined member of the ANC it is my responsibility to speak out on what is wrong and in the same breath promote what is right and speak out against corruption, as it is not a tradition of the ANC,” said Xasa.
Xasa said the original position of the ANC was “if you are charged you should step aside and allow the image of the ANC to remain clean”.
“But there are people who want to sympathise with each other, who want to come out together and form a political organisation. We cannot keep quiet.
“People whose conduct is suspicious are now making a movement to start a political organisation. We should strongly condemn that immediately.
“We will not allow that. We will defend the ANC, we will defend the people of South Africa,” said Xasa.
“We will make sure that whatever little resources we have are used to rebuild this country. We will never cherish people who want to steal from the poor. We understand that some church leaders are part of the drivers of the lobby groups and some traditional leaders are being recruited, and we call upon them to refrain. The ANC belongs to the people of South Africa, not to thieves and corrupt people.”
He said some of the people involved in the formation of the new party were before the courts and others under investigation.
“Yet they are mobilising people to support them,” said Xasa.
The pro-Zuma lobby, called Mazibuyele Emasisweni, is believed to be made up of religious and business bodies, traditional leaders and taxi operators. It apparently plans to launch a party, to be called the African Transformation Congress, soon.
The Sunday Times yesterday reported that a church leader and friend of Zuma planned to contest the next election in alliance with groups such as Black First Land First as part of a plan to force a Ramaphosa recall.
The rumours were all denied by Zuma supporters...