13 February 2024

United Action to Defend Our Freedom and
Advance a Better Life for All
Somlomo Obekekileyo,
USihlalo Webhunga Lamaphondo,
UMongameli
USekela Mongameli
Amalungu Abekekileyo ale Ndlu
Noluntu lonke loMzantsi Afrika luphela
Ndiyabulisa

Ndivumele ndiwagawule ndiwarhuqa nje ngokuba ndisenza iingabulazigcawu kule ntetho ibi luNcuthu Mazangwa kaMongameli woMzantsi Afrika. Ewe ke kuba sikunyaka wolonyulo, kusemqoka ukuba ke siyiqaphele into yokuba kuzakukhonya nooMofu kuba bonke baya kulonyulo, nomnye uthi ndikhona. Nezo bezenziwe bangaziboni xa sele bejonge ulonyulo, ingakumbi ulonyulo abaya kulo beyingqokelela yabaphikisi nabagxeki ngelithi makudityanwe kukhutshwe lo Rhulumente kaKhongolose ulawulayo.

Ayindisithelanga ke into ethi, nje ngoMshumayeli, iintlungu zakaloku nje, zalo cimi-cimi wombane nentswela-ngqesho azizukufanekiswa nobuqaqawuli obuzakutyhilwa. Nje ngoko uMongameli ethe thaca intetho yakhe, evuma apho uRhulumente kaKhongolose ungenzanga kakuhle, esitsho nalapho senze kakuhle, equkumbela ngesicwangciso sokuba sizakuyiguqula njani imeko yokuhlala yabantu bakowethu ngoba yeyona nto senyulelwe yona leyo.

We, as the ANC and the nation, are inspired by the President’s address last Thursday. The President has detailed the undertakings from the 2023 State of the Nation. The progress is inspiring, alongside the many challenges that have been outlined. The President gave an honest, balanced reflection of where we stand as a nation.

The choice we face as the nation in this year of elections is to re-affirm what we set out to do in 1994: implement a national programme of transformation that will result in qualitatively changing the lives of the majority of our people, who are black and women, for the better and not to side with those who are benefitting from the historical legacy of privilege, who seek to block transformation at every turn, as they cling to preserve their wealth, property and positions at the expense of the majority.

Under the ANC, we will continue to take the country forward, with all its challenges, toward a better future for all.

Under a conglomeration of opposition parties, they will entrench wealth amongst a few; under them, poverty and inequality will grow. I-moonshot pact yimbutho yabagxeki abadibene ngokuzama ukubuyisa uMzantsi Afrika wocalu-calulo.

On Thursday evening, the President accounted to the nation on the implementation of not only the 2023 SONA commitments but also of the five-year plan, the Medium-Term Strategic Framework. To those who say nothing has been done let me remind you that:

• R14bn has been allocated to fight crime and corruption over the next three years;
• 4,000 arrests have been made for damage to critical infrastructure,
• 70 arrests for construction extortion, and
• Over 3,000 arrests for illegal mining.
• Over 1.7 million work and livelihood opportunities for unemployed South Africans have been created through the Presidential Employment Stimulus.
• 45,000 participants have been placed in the National Youth Service,and
• 51,000 participants have been employed by 28 implementing partners under the social employment fund.

Ngubani ke ofuna ukuteketa ajwede apha athi akwenziwanga nto? Kukho abakhalayo, kukho abalilayo, bayagqwesa ke bazakuma apha.

Bayajweda bona.

The measures outlined in the State of the Nation Address reflect continuity in progress against a programme of transformative action seized with growing the economy, creating jobs, reducing poverty, tackling corruption and fighting crime. These measures have already impacted people’s lives, while the benefits of others will take longer to be felt.

We are bound as public representatives of the people to ensure that the programmes we adopt in our organisations are for the people, are of the people, and are implemented with the people, speaking to their needs.

The ANC’s January 8th statement, therefore, committed that we should be even “more determined this year to succeed in building a better life for all and be more deliberate and resolute about the renewal of the ANC, the broad democratic forces and our society.”

Ingxelo yeNcukacha-manani (Census 2022) iyavuma ukuba igxathu elikhulu lenziwe. Kodwa ke ngenxa yokukhula koluntu, akonelanga oku sesikwenzile kuba uluntu luyakhula umhla nezolo. Iziphumo zona ziyasivuma ukuba eneneni iimpilo nobomi babantu buphuchuliwe ngulombhuto kaKhongolose.

Therefore, we do not have to be held hostage in this debate by political parties that will come with sound bites but lack the evidence. We challenge you to tell us your sources when you quote statistics. Otherwise, you will be merely sloganising.

In 30 years, the ANC government has increased women’s representation in leadership and management positions, expanded access to education and health services to millions of our people, and moved significantly towards eradicating adult illiteracy.

Akhona ke amachaphaza asigqwalisayo asitsalela emva nje ngomgangatho owehlayo weenkonzo ezinikezelwa eluntwini, ulawulo oluheshe-heshe kunye nezicwangciso zokulawula ilizwe kumanqanaba athile karhulumente.

Ukwenyuka kwamaxabiso kukhwitsha kanabom iimpula zikaLujaca ekubeni uqoqosho lungenyuki nemisebenzi inqongophele kuyalwenzakalisa uluntu. URhulumente uyazivelela ezo nkalo zonke. Esi sihelegu sika cimi-cimi wombane yeyona nto iqhokra uqoqosho nomqolo

welizwe kunye noluntu lonke luphela. Kwaye ingumvambo onganyamezelekiyo nje ngokuba sibonile ukusuka ngoMgqibelo.

Kodwa ke noxa kunjalo, ithemba lona likhona kuba ziyalandelwa ezi zikrelemnqa zisifaka kule meko ka cimi-cimi.

uMphathiswa ojongene ncakasana nezombane uzakuyinabisa ukuba zitihini izicwangcoso zokujongana nalo gili-kankqo.

What we need to honestly acknowledge, is that corruption has had a devastating impact on the ability of our state-owned enterprises to function for the purpose they were set up. We have just had another manager arrested at Eskom for R1m alleged fraud so there are more hiding away weakening Eskom and knowing full well while they financially benefit, the ANC government must account for their criminal destruction of the capacity of the Entity. When we see communities’ infrastructure being destroyed and then want to turn around and blame the ANC government, all we are doing is taking no responsibility within our communities to hand over those criminal elements to the police, elements who feast off the state and the suffering of the people and the economy.

As the Parliament of the people, we take our responsibilities in contributing to the health of the State of the Nation seriously. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry known as Zondo Commission and the report of the President, which were referred to Parliament for consideration, have been acted upon.

The constant narrative that Parliament has done nothing can only be said by those who have consciously gone to sleep, who do not want to see the process of assigned sections of the report given to Committees, and how Page 6 of 7 the Ethics Committee has engaged itself and pronounced on some of the findings. This work will continue within the purview of Parliament.

As the majority party, the ANC leads in this responsibility, and the responsibility of passing legislation, which to date in the 6th Parliament amounts to 88 bills having been passed, all expressions of ANC policy that shape the direction of the country and influence decision-making. We have done this whilst we have mourned 23 ANC MPs who have passed on – the greatest number compared to any term of Parliament.

They died with their boots and heels on. May their souls rest in peace.

Whilst the ANC is seeking to unite the nation, addressing the national grievances, promoting Unity in Diversity, and driving social cohesion, we are confronted with acts of racism carried out by groups of whites who cling to an old apartheid flag that is outlawed, swear allegiance to a past that was discriminatory and declared as a crime against humanity.

They desire to undermine constitutional democracy and break down the ongoing effort of nation-building and social cohesion. These acts of racism only serve to reopen the wounds of the past and bring about a response.

We have been talking for 30 years about these matters, and we need to see the law sentencing those whites and some blacks who believe that racism is a methodology to advance their interests against the collective good of the majority.

Umenziwa akakhohlwa, kodwa umenzi uyakhohlwa. Asizukuvuma ke ukunyolwa esweni.

This is not dissimilar to what the DA is busy doing in the Western Cape, instilling in the minds of those who live in the Western Cape that they have

a separate identity and a special status within the Republic. Their popularity is declining rapidly amongst communities, especially workingclass communities, because of the inconsistency between what they say and what they do. Umcimbi kaSirayeli wokubulala ngolunya amaPalestina ubutyhilile ubuze be-DA nje ngombutho wabacinezeli. Yilo nto ngeCawe umhla we 11 February amawaka-waka ebegcwele eAthlone Stadium ukuqinisa oko uMadiba wakuthethayo esithi “Inkululeko yethu ayiphelelanga engekakhululeki amaPalestina.”

The choice for any voter in the 2024 elections is to defend our gains, advance the democracy we have painstakingly built and achieve victory in the 2024 elections to advance the National Democratic Revolution and to achieve the National Democratic Society.

Thatha ANC! Thatha!

Vote ANC!