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Opening Address to the Provincial ANC General Council
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 EASTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

OPENING ADDRESS TO THE PROVINCIAL   ANC GENERAL COUNCIL

BY PROVINCIAL CHAIRPERSON REV. M.A. STOFILE

AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE

23-25 JUNE 2000

Salutations

INTRODUCTION:

The Provincial General Council in the ANC is a structure or forum provided in terms of Section 18 of the ANC Constitution (1997).It is 
designed to afford the Branches of the ANC an opportunity, in between Conferences, to discuss any matter that needs the attention of the 
organization. As you all know, comrades, we were here in December 1999 in a PGC.We analysed the challenges facing the Movement and the 
Government.We then produced a programme of Action for this year.So, the purpose of this PGC is slightly different.It is not so much to 
produce yet another Programme of Action.Rather it is to prepare for a very important gathering of Our Movement: A National General Council 
(NGC) that will be hosted by our Province in Port Elizabeth next month. As such, this PGC is an important forum where we should be engaged 
in political discussion so as to sharpen our understanding of our tasks as a Movement and as its cadres.We are also challenged to hammer 
out a better understanding of the political imperatives facing us as an Alliance as we try to translate our 1999 Manifesto into reality.

So, we take this opportunity to welcome all delegates and friends.May this week-end add more quality to what is already clearly the only 
stable and consistent political organization in our country. When we rise from here on Sunday, we must be stronger than before we came 
here.Our people, our Province and the whole of South Africa deserve no less.

THE CONTEXT

ANC Conferences before 1961 were distinguished by a passionate plea by the leaders to have the ANC properly organised and people 
mobilized.All this to make sure that a strong movement was built to fight Apartheid.

At Morogoro the Movement had to confront the new situation of being in exile and most of the key leaders being in prison.Regrouping was a 
major challenge.The development of new strategies and Tactics was urgent.Our Movement executed this task with flying colors and produced a 
watershed analysis of our struggle, developed brilliant Strategies and Tactics that continue to form the basis of our work to this day.

Kabwe was a self-criticism Conference.It was also a Conference designated to be the last one in exile. Indeed the next Conference was in 
Pietermaritzburg in 1991. Then followed Bloemfontein (1994) and Mafikeng (1997).

Bloemfontein was some kind of consolidation period after the important victory over the Apartheid Regime in the 1994 General Elections.We 
needed to re-organise ourselves as a Party and Organisation in power.But was to soon after the April Elections and we did not quite grasp 
all the facets of what awaited us as Government.

It was in Mafikeng where in both the President’s and the Secretary General’s Reports it was made clear what we were in for.The extent of 
the decay, stagnation and corruption left behind was shocking.The inherent racism in our society as well as the untransformed public 
sector, above all, the continued residence of economic power in the hands of a few white hands were emphasized.

Port Elizabeth (2000) comes in the wake of a bigger ANC victory in the 1999 Elections.For us in this Province, it comes at the wake of 
losing 10% of our 1994 votes.As you are aware, the process of analyzing our performance has been going on since 1999.We have been working 
at our weaknesses. But this task is far from being over.

CORRUPTION AND MEDIOCRACY

It became clear during this analysis of our weaknesses that in most cases we had been our own enemies.Some public representatives worked 
very hard for their constituencies.Others were, in the words of an ANC (Cape) Circular of 1952,“They (tea-drinking leaders) are worth three 
pence a day extra to the City Council of Port Elizabeth.”(Tom Karis p.492)

The ANC, through the mouth of our President, has clearly articulated our abhorance of these comrades who have become commercial 
prostitutes.Stealing government resources meant to improve the lives of the poor is simply inexcusable.This is as criminal as it is 
corrupt.The same goes for lazy drones who are contented with brandishing their status but do nothing for our people.This is theft of public 
funds as it is pay without working.

We must work, comrades.It does not matter where we are deployed, people should respect us for what we do, not what we are.

RESTORATION OF THE HUMAN DIGNITY

Our people expect to be treated better now that they have a government of their own.This applies even more to the rural poor, the 
illiterate and the aged/frail.It also applies to the children and female citizens.Domestic violence, disrespect, insensitivity and 
arrogance, all these things and many others that we are guilty of continue reduce our people to an inhuman status.They cannot understand 
why it is their own people, their own relatives, their own government that continues where apartheid left off.We must do better than 
hitherto.

EDUCATION

This continues to be the single most important tool for the transformation of our people.Access to knowledge, access to livelihood skills 
and ability to participate in democratic decision-making, depend on education – quality education.The cadres of our Movement are expected 
to be in the forefront in the battle for quality Education for all our children and workers.

FOOD

In these centuries of population and technology explosions, it is the illiterate, the rural and the poor who lack food.I believe we can 
turn this around by speeding up and stepping up assistance to our rural communities for food production.The few projects we have started 
prove us correct.But our people must also be motivated to use the land they have. We can’t wait for some jobs in the cities and town 
industries.Back to the land.

The President of Cape ANC in 1948, Revd J.A. Calata had this to say of the subject:

“&#133;&#133;.. we as the ANC (are not) satisfied with the wholesale townward drift of our people &#133;&#133;.There is no doubt that the 
inadequacy of land for Africans it to a great extent responsible for the townward drift &#133;&#133;. and the breakdown of morals and 
religion.”

This is no commentary on what is happening in Zimbabwe.It is a mere analysis of what can save our people from poverty, starvation and 
begging.This should also deal with criminality as well as with “homelessness”. [some “homeless” have homes in some village somewhere].

LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

Over the last few months all branches and regions have been dealing with this subject.More will be said in the commissions on the 
process.Here we must just mention the importance of these Elections for the transformation of South Africa, for service delivery.We must 
also emphasize the importance of Party discipline in these processes.There is a very bad development of some of our people becoming 
champions of some strange organizations who oppose ANC positions.This new type of opportunism is a product of a faulty understanding of how 
hegemony must be developed.The hegemony of a progressive and correct political theory should be supported.Not the influence of ambitious 
individuals.This is dangerous to the revolution (see Zambia & Zimbabwe).

The ANC MUST come with stronger cadres as mayors and councilors in these Elections.Once beaten twice shy!

COCLUSION

The ANC is a mass-based Party of all classes that share our strategic objectives.No sector of society should be excluded from our 
programmes and structures.No class should be chased away either.South Africa and our Province need the best building blocks to drive the 
Transformation agenda.The ANC must attract/recruit such raw material, sandpaper and chisel it, and use it for the good of all our 
people.Not one of us was born a revolutionary.We prize everyone who wants to work.

The custodians of white interests are regrouping.We can’t fold our arms and expect our people to understand what is going on.We need to be 
aggressive in consolidating the oppressed masses behind the gains of our Revolution. The student sector, academics and the business sector 
with weak political roots are very vulnerable in this campaign of right wing interests.Let us borrow the precepts developed by Lenin for an 
activist and a stateperson during the first months of the Government he formed.

Lenin enjoined a political person to:

- live in the midst of the people.

- know the people’s mood

- understand the people

- Have the right approach

- Win the absolute trust of the people.

(Lenin as Head of Government by V. Drobizhev. p.20).

Let us to the Commissions and use them to hammer out how, as the vanguard of our people and of Africa, we mean to stay close to the 
people.How we hope to improve our political image.How we are going to sharpen our delivery of quality service to our communities towards a 
Better Life for ALL.

We do not have endless time to do these things.

FORWARD TO TOTAL FREEDOM.

REV. M.A. STOFILE
 PREMIER : EASTERN CAPE

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