Johannesburg - ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe says the party was aware of some of the utterances that have been attributed to former leaders of the ANC by different provinces after harsh criticism that was directed at current ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa was publicly condemned by two former ANC and South African presidents, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.
Ramaphosa was defended by three provinces, which all issued their statements after the comments made by Mbeki and Zuma.
Speaking at Luthuli House at a press briefing, Mabe said that officials of the party would be in contact with the former presidents of the ANC.
"The officials will be in engagement with our former leaders to understand and reflect on some of the issues that have been raised. We believe that with more engagements, we will be able to strengthen the African National Congress," Mabe said.
He said that Gwen Ramokgopa would be coordinating a weekly meeting where communications would be properly coordinated.
"On matters that are out there and really affect the national body of the African National Congress, being the National Executive Committee, so that we do not have our provinces, all of them responding or reflecting on matters that the NEC could be best placed to handle," he said.
Mabe said that what has happened shows there needs to be a strengthening of communication coordination.
He said that there is already an effort underway where provincial secretaries make sure that the messages of the ANC on matters of national interest, including when it affects the utterances of the ANC’s former leaders.
"We coordinate our responses, and we are able to issue one consistent message. After all, it is those former leaders who must play an important role in the unity and renewal of the African National Congress," Mabe said.
He further said that these former leaders have views that relate to matters that are before law enforcement agencies, such as the Phala Phala matter.
"The sitting president of the ANC has already expressed his willingness to cooperate with the process. It is only fair that we allow those processes to arrive at their own logical conclusion," he said.
Mabe continued to highlight that former leaders of the ANC are invited in their ex-officio capacity to sit in the NEC and says the party encourages them to use that platform to raise issues they have about how the NEC carries on its work going forward.
"They have been participating, as Mbeki has been participating, as well as President Zuma. We have been quite encouraged by the contributions that they have been making in our own NEC meetings.
"We believe that those NEC meetings provide an excellent platform for them to be able to deposit their views," he said.
The Star