Former president Thabo Mbeki chose to speak his truth and call out the ANC during his speech at the memorial service of ANC deputy secretary- general Jessie Duarte on Thursday, 21 July 2022.
He highlighted a number of issues South Africa is facing as well as the ANC’s flaws that might have caused the poor service delivery in the country.
Mbeki believes that South Africa has a chance of having its own Arab Spring if the ANC leaders don’t change its ways. He mentioned that the ANC’s leadership has failed South Africans in many cases that has resulted in unemployment, inequality and poverty as well as the failure of a renewed party.
“The fact of the matter is, comrades, as I am standing here we do not have an agreed national plan to address these challenges. Comrade President Cyril Ramaphosa, when he addressed the state of the nation in February, that is where he said that in 100 days there must be a comprehensive social compact to address these matters. Nothing has happened” said Mbeki.
Former president Mbeki claims that Jessie Duarte would have learnt, and understood that as the revolutionary you had to respect the truth.
“Comrade Jessie would have understood a number of things, that as a revolutionary, we really exist to serve the people – that justifies our existence. To serve the people with no expectation of a reward to these revolutionaries except for the reward of fulfilling the aspirations of the people…
“Now I am quite certain that many of us today and other days have made the statement that we need to honor the legacy of this revolutionary Jessie Duarte and indeed, long live the spirit of Jessie Duarte,” he said
