ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
ANC PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has called for a renewed focus on discipline within the party, warning that those who undermine its values and work to sow division will be shown the door.
Ramaphosa warned that this was already happening.
Speaking to over 20,000 supporters at the party's 113th-anniversary celebration on Saturday at Mandela Park Stadium in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, Ramaphosa admitted that the ANC was experiencing an existential crisis.
In light of the party's dismal showing in the most recent national elections, he emphasised that it must either undergo rejuvenation or face decline.
He declared 2025 the ‘Year of Renewal’, dedicating the party's efforts to revitalising the principles of the Freedom Charter.
In his speech, Ramaphosa presented a thorough plan to revive the party, deal with societal issues, and preserve the ANC's long-standing purpose.
The ANC is plagued by ill-discipline, corruption, crime, dishonesty and fighting for positions as well as who should be in power.
The ANC established an appeals procedure for the commission's recommendations about its members last year. This was after concerns raised by party structures, particularly the veterans league, who have long felt that the National Executive Committee (NEC) and its leadership have occasionally ignored its recommendations and neglected to examine or approve its reports, have contributed to this decision.
The ANC recently chose not to discipline some of the leaders that the State Capture Commission had named, failing to address their refusal to come before the disciplinary committee.
But ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party will tackle the cases before them.
Facing the crowd in Khayelitsha, Ramaphosa said the membership system of the ANC was also being adjusted to ensure that the party attracted to its ranks people who were willing to take it forward.
He further outlined the party's six priorities, with renewal being top of the agenda, again. The priorities were introduced last year during the party's election manifesto.
These included creating jobs, re-industrialisation, energy, rail and logistics, tackling the cost of living, access to health, NHI and access to education.
He stressed that they had to renew or perish to regain people's confidence, especially after the May 29 national and provincial elections.