25/05/2022
ANC Candidates and members.
Let us not regard this process of election of ANC representatives as a personal process or journey. I have observed in many areas where I was tasked to oversee the process that many take that process as a personal process.
The ANC Process allow for the contest between individuals (they being members or not) in order to select a credible, reputable and suitable candidate who will represent the ANC in the upcoming elections. It is therefore not true that those who are contesting each other, they do so because they hate each other. They do so because they are allowed by the ANC process to identify a candidate
The moment you think that another cde contest because he or she dislikes or hates you then you must know that you are not participating in an ANC process but a personal process and the danger is that you already have personal issues, interests and concerns which supersedes the ANC and Community process and in all the meetings I have been invited to speak about the ANC process I have advised members that once they have an element of self everything, once they think of their personal issues or interests first before community issues or interests such members should decline candidate position because there is always going to be a conflict of interests between his or her interests and the community interests
This should also be an advised to the supporters of individual candidates. We should stop thinking of our personal issues or interests when we identify a candidate. Once we start to prioritize our selfish interests and purposes over our community issues we should know that we ourselves are about to produce a disastrous candidate because our purpose is more about personal issues or interests rather than the community issues
In the ANC process we aim to respect the will of the people therefore there is no need to impose your candidate over the will of the people. You can’t therefore disrupt the process because your preferred candidate is not winning the aspirations of the people. You can’t also cheat the process because your preferred candidate is not making it. The use of violence to force your candidate through is not an ANC process but it is a personal process.
We should therefore at all material times avoid the following:
* Bad mouthing others because they are contesting you or your preferred candidate
* Use of money to influence the outcome of the process
* Use of alcohol or violence to disrupt the meeting if the outcome is likely not to favour you or your preferred candidate
* To Disrespect or discriminate others because they are old or young.
* To Hail insults to those who have a different view
* To Manufacture or Fabricate and Spread lies about those who don’t prefer you or your preferred candidate
* To use any other propaganda machinery detrimental to the wellbeing of the ANC
*To transport individuals from other wards to support you or your preferred candidate (particularly in a disruptive manner)
The above and many other unANC tendencies should be avoided because the ANC long time ago has declared through its historical moral compass, the Freedom Charter that “NO GOVERNMENT SHOULD CLAIM AUTHORITY UNLESS IT IS BASED ON THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!”
In each and every meeting we always shout “AMANDLA!” and our people always respond “AWETHU!” or “NGAWETHU!” The current process is about exactly that, to return the power to the rightful owners: The People. This is because we have committed ourselves in the Freedom Charter that The People Shall Govern, therefore they start with the ANC process. That process must be people oriented, people driven process.
Therefore no force, no cabal, no core or any groupie should force their will over the will of the people. It is precisely the reason why the community meeting is the arbiter of our ANC process.
The ANC Candidate and members should be focusing on ensuring that we win the hearts and minds of our people through a community based process.
Any other thing will repel our people from the ANC
A comradely advise
By Cde Ketso Toto Makume
IPC and IPWC Member, Cde Ketso Toto Makume Ward 11, Metsimaholo.
