Public trust in the ANC has diminished — Mbalula

ANC secretary-generalFikile Mbalulasays the public has lost trust in the ANC. Speaking during the Solomon Mahlangu lecture on Monday in Tshwane after the party earlier commemorated Mahlangu’s legacy, Mbalula acknowledged the socioeconomic factors that had led to people losing confidence in the party. “The ANC, the very organisation for which Mahlangu gave his life, faces profound challenges.

We meet at a time when the trust between the people and the movement has been diminished. “Across many communities, particularly at the level of local government, our people are confronted with failing services, unemployment, inequality and a growing sense of disillusionment,” said Mbalula. “The very institutions that were meant to advance freedom are, in some instances, seen as distant, ineffective, or even compromised.

This reality demands not defensiveness, but decisive action.” “Across many communities, particularly at the level of local government, our people are confronted with failing services, unemployment, inequality and a growing sense of disillusionment. Last week DA leader Helen Zille criticised the ANC in Joburg for failing to fix potholes, and to illustrate this she visited Douglasdale, north of Joburg where she took a video of herself swimming in a waterlogged pothole. Her action prompted the municipality to quickly fix the pothole which residents had been complaining about for years.

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However, mayor Dada Morero accused Zille of politicking. Last month, Sowetan reported that Emfuleni municipality, south of Joburg, mismanaged its diesel tenders leading to the municipality being unable to render essential services like waste management due to an unavailability of diesel. Mbalula said the difficulties the ANC is faced with has resulted in the party committing to an agenda of renewal.

“Renewal is not a slogan. It is a process of rebuilding the ethical foundation of our movement. It requires restoring discipline, strengthening accountability and ensuring that leadership is driven not by access to resources, but by commitment to service.”

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