While Thabo Mbeki was in Soweto on Thursday to promote the ANC, he came under fire for what some are describing as inconsistencies.
The former national chairwoman of the EFF and attorney Dali Mpofu has poked fun at Thabo Mbeki for joining the ANC’s campaign trail.
The ANC’s Thabo Mbeki Campaigns
Former President Mbeki and Premier Panyaza Lesufi of Gauteng visited Soweto on Thursday, urging the locals to back the ruling party in the impending national and local elections that take place next month.
He spoke with locals and business owners at Jabulani Mall while on his walkabout, handing out flyers with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s picture.
Using a playful tone, Mpofu advised customers to exercise caution, alluding to Mbeki’s previous criticism of the ANC and its leaders, particularly Ramaphosa.
“An urgent warning to Jabulani Mall customers.” There seems to be a man circulating through the mall handing out flyers and urging people to vote for candidates he recently labeled as felons, liars, imigodoyi (stray dogs), and amasela [thieves]. Don’t believe his new story, please. Remove them from there.
The Citizen claims that Mbeki had earlier claimed that Ramaphosa had some fault for breaking his promise to address social issues.
“There must be an agreed-upon comprehensive social compact to address these matters in 100 days,” Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa declared in his state-of-the-nation speech in February. There has been nothing at all.
“You cannot have so many unemployed people, so many impoverished people, people facing lawlessness, and people facing leadership that calls out ANC members one by one as corrupt,” Mbeki remarked.
He admitted that the year before, he had been nervous and unsure about running for the party.
Mahlengi Bhengu, the ANC spokesperson, said that Mbeki would be expected to comply out of loyalty.
CAN THABO MBEKI RESTORE THE ANC’S PRIORITIES
The EFF’s leader, Julius Malema, has called former President Thabo Mbeki a flip-flopper and described him as inconsistent, according to the Mail & Guardian.
This criticism comes after Mbeki said, somewhat against his earlier suggestions, that he would run for the ANC in the next general elections.
Malema criticized the media in an interview with Mail & Guardian for failing to call Mbeki a flip-flopper—a phrase used to characterize someone who constantly changes their viewpoint.
In contrast, the EFF leader has always been given the designation despite his inconsistent support for different people.
Mbeki, who has frequently criticized his party, has now formally endorsed the ANC, ending much question about his support for their campaign.
He claimed that supporting the party’s initiatives was his “obligation.”
Malema maintained that Zuma is still an ANC member and defended his support for the newly formed Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party in the approaching elections.
He made a comparison to Mbeki’s prior endorsement of the Congress of the People (Cope) by former members of the ruling party.
The former president is reportedly concerned about the organization’s failure to fulfill its promises and the need for more reliable leaders inside it, according to Eyewitness News.
Mbeki used the Xhosa word “amasela” to describe dishonest people in high places within the ruling party.
He voiced his misgivings about the ANC’s endorsement to South Africans in May of the previous year, pointing out the party’s inability to confront its own issues.
He emphasized that, in spite of his unresolved reservations, complete self-improvement and refinement was the only path to restoring confidence in the ANC brand.
“Due to internal issues, the ANC needs to reinvent itself. Thus, I have never reconsidered; this was the right decision.
Mbeki has urged community members to maintain their confidence in the ANC, citing Soweto’s longstanding loyalty to the party.
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