A vote for ANC is a vote for peace: Zuma
Voting for the ANC is a contribution to the maintenance of peace and unity in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said.
|||Pretoria - Voting for the African National Congress is a contribution to the maintenance of peace and unity in South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday.
“Remember that a vote for the ANC is a vote for peace and unity in our country. The vote for the ANC is a vote for a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous South Africa,” Zuma told thousands of people at a Workers Day rally in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.
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“A vote for the ANC is a vote for a better life for all and improved quality of life for our people. Our vote has a meaning. I don’t know about other votes. Let us celebrate this day of the workers with this understanding.”
Zuma said it was only the ANC-led alliance that could advance South Africa towards being prosperous.
On the August 3 local government elections, Zuma said councillors should be held accountable for non-delivery.
“Councillors will be accessible to the community. We don’t want councillors that are not accessible to the communities. We want councillors that must know that they have been elected and must report to communities on a regular basis. We believe that our councillors must sign performance agreements to commit themselves,” he said.
“We are going to give time frames on how often they report. People should not see the councillor for the first time when we do door-to-door [campaigns]. They must see them, know them, and raise issues with them. This will give power to the people in holding their representatives accountable. We are the ones that must control our councils.”
Zuma said if the ANC lost power in South Africa anarchists would take over.
“Democracy allows that in every five years, we shake and evaluate power to see where power goes. We must not leave power. If we leave power this country will be in the hands of chaotic people, anarchists, and we will be in trouble,” he said.
“There will be no forward movement. We must know that in every country the majority is the working people. It is the workers who must understand this.”
As the ANC intensified the campaign for the tightly-contested August 3 local government elections, Zuma said the party would be “dealing with people who talk too much”.
“And [we will] explain to the country who they are. What are they trying to do. We are going to deal with everything that has been said. Today we are celebrating but a campaign is going to move throughout the country. Opportunists and reactionaries are going to be explained.
“Our country is faced with a difficulty today, of counter-revolution disguised in many guises. We have got to expose them for the people to know who they are. Our task for now is to mobilise for elections,” Zuma said.
Numerous leaders of the governing tripartite alliance were in attendance.
The gathering was also addressed by SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande and Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sdumo Dlamini.
– African News Agency