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Polity
Published: 07 Dec 2009
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| ANC: Statement by Jackson Mthembu, African National Congress spokesperson, on Frene Ginwala (07/12/2009) | |
| The African National Congress (ANC) is utterly disappointed by comments attributed to Frene Ginwala, which appeared in a Sunday newspaper. The ANC today (7 December 2009) engaged with Miss Ginwala to confirm whether these were indeed true. We have noted that - in a "statement by Frene Ginwala to Sunday Times" editor, which is in ANC possession, Miss Ginwala seeks to correct what she actually told the newspaper reporter. In a "statement" by Miss Ginwala to the Sunday newspaper, forwarded to the ANC, she says: "I certainly would never call South Africans ‘inferior'. I did say we were ignorant about what was happening in Africa because the newspapers, in particular the Sunday Times, failed to inform the public about events in Africa. I also praised the change in City Press that had consciously become an African newspaper. A report of discussions at the meeting (of the Coalition for a Dialogue in Africa which took place in Tunisia), had you carried any, would have included praises for President Zuma's policies on HIV/AIDS and in particular his statement that he had taken and would be taking an AIDS test." The ANC leadership will soon be meeting with Miss Ginwala to clarify what she actually told the newspaper about the country and about President Jacob Zuma. We are disappointed that we had to call Miss Ginwala on this matter and that she did not have the decency to call the ANC leadership or the President to put her side of the story. In our meeting with Miss Ginwala, we want her to clarify what she said and the context in which she did so. Any assertion that there is no political leadership in the country is devoid of all truth and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. Unfair criticism of President Zuma as someone not giving leadership to the country and the nation is not borne out of any facts. For those who are fast asleep amidst the unfolding of events in which President Zuma has - to much appreciation of the South African citizenry and the international community - given political leadership, we want to take them through a few. Just this past Friday all eyes throughout the world were glued on South Africa when the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup event held in Cape Town to announce the final draw of country soccer teams that will be playing on our soil next year, heard President Zuma - amid thunderous applause - giving leadership to the country and the world on how prepared we are. By anyone's standards, this has gone down as a clear indication of the international community's vote of confidence in South Africa, particularly in President Zuma, the ruling ANC political collective and the Local FIFA Organising Committee in hosting the world's most prestigious event. Messages of appreciation for President Zuma's courageous stance during his World Aids Day speech - hailed by all South Africans including opposition parties - as demonstrating a fundamental progressive shift in Government policy of how we intend to effectively deal with the HIV/AIDS pandemic, continue to pour. Reaction from organs of civil society and the international community as well as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has equally been good. The ANC would further like to remind any Doubting Thomases that President Zuma is his own man - not a copycat of any person when it comes to dealing with matters before him. He takes his mandate from the ANC collective and the people of South Africa. South Africa and the ANC collective continue to appreciate his leadership, particularly how he has led the country through a difficult period marked by economic challenges like the effects of the global recession. In addressing this, he has brought together all key stakeholders like labour, business and Government officials to find solutions. Among steps taken, he has set up a special fund to pre-empt recession-hit companies from laying off workers, ensuring that workers are retrained and given other roles. This will certainly go a long way in mitigating against the effects of the recession. During the global economic downturn, the President has also shown leadership in reversing the increase in salaries of senior public office bearers, including ministers and members of Parliament (MPs) by 1% from 8 %. With President Zuma at the helm, the ANC-led Government has never sought to undermine any African leader or Government, as the Sunday article purports. We have respect and have always dealt with African challenges through the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU). We therefore, disagree with the notion that we are not in touch with what is happening in the continent and that we are "arrogant". We believe and have confidence in the ANC leadership collective elected in the ANC 52nd National Conference in 2007 and will continue to accord it the respect it deserves. Had Miss Ginwala had the decency to call the ANC leadership or President Zuma on whatever it is that she said about him, she would have in all likelihood arrived at the same conclusion as all of us, that in President Zuma we have a humble down to earth leader whose only preoccupation is to better the lives of all South Africans, particularly the rural poor. We are hopeful that in the future, Miss Ginwala will raise whatever issues that she is unhappy about, through the ANC leadership before making unfortunate pronouncement and assertions to the media. Such behaviour on her part might be misconstrued to be a Post-Polokwane Traumatic Stress. |
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