Letters

I have been mandated by the Secretary General on behalf of the National Executive Committee of the ANC to respond to your open letter to us.

First and foremost it is great sadness that, those entrusted with the leadership of our Movement and country should find it normal to communicate with their organisation through the media. This is even more strange coming from one who is the former Chairperson and, therefore, well averse with policies and traditions of our movement.

The answer to the apparent puzzle seems to be contained in the second but last paragraph of your letter. For purposes of clarity I wish to quote. `This state of affairs leaves me and many other comrades, no doubt, with a clear sense that our membership to the organisation is an endorsement of practices that are dangerous to the democracy that many people in our country struggled to bring into being.`

Put bluntly, you and those who share your views are giving notice to leave the ANC. For the record, the ANC is a voluntary association of individuals who believe in it, and who a free to leave as and when they cease to do so. History is full of examples of such individuals. In the majority of cases, these were leaders who had grown too big for the ANC. These people could no longer subject themselves to the discipline of the organisation. As such they either had to leave voluntarily or be expelled. We hope we have not reached that stage in your case.

I now wish to respond to some of the allegations in your letter. May I take this opportunity to remind you of the many comrades you refused permission to speak in the NEC, abusing your position as chair, simply because you disagreed with them. In so far as conducting meetings, the NEC, was reduced to an animal farm, where those who shared your views had a field day whilst the rest banished to the twilight. The unlucky ones were subject to your verbal assaults, privately and publicly.

Again, in case you have forgotten. You presided over a disrespectful discourse, which insulted comrade Nelson Mandela in the NEC you were chairing. In this regard, we challenge you to deny the fact that you did so. Your individual and sectoral interests prevailed upon you to officiate over such unwarranted attack upon an old man who thought of you as his own son. As a brotherly advice we suggest you visit Madiba and apologise.

Your behaviour and public utterances prior to the Polokwane conference were, to say the least, un-ANC.

Judge Nicholson found in the case of the State vs. J Zuma, that the Executive violated the constitutional rights of the ANC President. We hope that all of us will respect all institutions that serve our country without fear or favour.

To you and all your cronies, we at the ANC say that what you are trying to demonstrate to the country is nothing, but the last kicks of a dying horse. Remember that the ANC as an institution will stay forever while individuals like yourselves will go.

I wish to assure members of the ANC and the country at large that the ANC has not deviated from policies it has adopted at various conferences some of which you presided over as our National Chairperson. We are looking forward to engagement within our structures in line with the traditions of the ANC.

By Jeff Radebe
NEC Member