ANC Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced his concern about the recent lack of order in the National Assembly.
Speaking at the ANC Musa Dladla Region Cadres Forum at the Empangeni Town Hall on Sunday, he said even former liberation struggle icon Nelson Mandela would have been embarrassed by the anarchy in Parliament.
‘I am sure that our highly disciplined Madiba was going to be embarrassed in seeing the disorder, lost of decorum and disrespect in our Parliament.
‘What we have seen in the recent past is not representative of what Madiba stood for and fought for. We are now called upon to ensure that there is order and respect for one another in Parliament.’
He said the ANC was also worried that various political parties had embarked on a well planned campaign to weaken the ruling party by attacking its
leadership.
He warned ANC members to stay alert and ensure that the campaign did not achieve its intended goals.
Ramaphosa also defended the ANC’s intervention in the affairs of the ANCYL, that had its elective conference turned into a consultative forum.
He said the decision was taken to ensure that the outcome of the elective conference was credible.
The ANC Second-In-Command also refuted claims that the decision was taken to prevent certain people from being elected.
‘The ANC wants a militant and united ANCYouth League. We want to see the ANCYL united, so that it can better champion the interests of young people.
‘We will continue assisting the ANCYL to rebuild its structures and that will be done without interfering in its business.
‘We are confident that we will soon have an ANCYL that is disciplined and able to deal with political and economical issues that affect our young people,’ he added.
Earlier in the day, Ramaphosa laid a wreath at the ANC Memorial Centre in Esikhaleni, erected in 2010 in memory of ANC members who were killed during the liberation struggle.
According to the Regional Chairperson of the ANC in Musa Dladla, Thulani Mashaba, Esikhaleni is where the existence of the ANC was defended successfully.
‘This area was the hub and home to all our comrades who had been chased away from their home,s particularly those who resided in the rural areas during political upheavals.
‘Many of them came here and found a home.
‘From there we took a decision that this was going to be our territory, said Mashaba, who was accompanied by ANC PEC member Mike Mabuyakhulu and SACP veteran, Riot ‘Makomanisi’ Mkhwanazi.
