Gwede Mantashe said information being revealed at the commission chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo illustrated how deep corruption is in the country.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe at a media briefing on the coronavirus on 25 March 2020 in Pretoria. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – African National Congress (ANC) national chairperson Gwede Mantashe on Wednesday said despite the different views members of the party had on the state capture commission of inquiry, they must all get behind it.
Mantashe said information being revealed at the commission chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo illustrated how deep corruption was in the country.
Manatshe himself has appeared before Zondo in an attempt to explain why the ANC tried to intervene in a matter between the controversial Gupta family and the country’s big banks.
This took place while he served as the party’s secretary general.
The commission has also been subject to harsh criticism from some in the ANC, with those aligned to its former President Jacob Zuma now calling for it to be dissolved while he pushed for Zondo to recuse himself.
Mantashe said as the ANC intensified the fight against corruption it must also support the work of the commission.
“…And support and accept it for the movement to cleans itself. Information that is coming out of this commission is a serious measure on how deep the rot is.”
At the same time, he has also said that temptation for ANC leaders to want their conduct to be compared to the apartheid regime would be a disaster.
Mantashe on Tuesday used his tribute to honour the party’s longest-serving president OR Tambo to highlight the need to unify the movement and to fight the scourge of corruption.
Tuesday marked what would have been the struggle icon’s 103rd birthday.
Mantashe said the party was at a stage where it was fast losing the trust of the people.
He said fighting like cats and dogs also had a negative impact on the party, and urged members to continue engaging with those who agreed to work on uniting the movement in meetings then were subsequently found addressing factional gatherings.
The ANC national chair also told members society was correct to judge the party harshly as some individuals were intent on harming the brand of Tambo’s beloved party.
“Yes, we cannot afford being equated to corruption because individual leaders and members cannot suppress their greed. Therefore that duty and message must come up strong and we can take exception but the message must be clear and consistent.”
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