"Today, we need unity, not just in the ANC but [in] all of South Africa. As Africans, we face poverty, sexism and many other challenges. Women are still suffering. The unity called for by our past leaders is absolutely important," she said on Friday evening.

Dlamini-Zuma was speaking at a memorial lecture in honour of former ANC leader Pixley ka Seme in front of a capacity crowd at the Durban City Hall.

Calling for solidarity, Dlamini-Zuma said that Africans had to "bury these demons that see us hating and fighting among ourselves".

She said that aspects of a speech on unity, liberation, economic transformation and democracy, delivered by a 25-year-old Ka Seme in 1906, still rang true today.

"We owe it to Pixley to do better. We have political power. We must now also get economic power. Seme understood that you cannot sustain political power without economic power. If you don't have economic power you can even lose the political power."

She added: "We must use the political tool toward the emancipation of our people. You cannot maintain peace if people are poor, landless and hungry."

It's full up at Durban City Hall. Huge support for Nkosazana-Dlamini Zuma. @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/PS9yZEeci8— Kaveel Singh (@kaveels) October 20, 2017

Industrialisation of South Africa

Dlamini-Zuma said that the ANC owed it to its founders to implement resolutions from its 2012 conference where radical economic transformation was declared a priority.

"It is a decision that was taken. It needs implementation." Dlamini-Zuma said that the "army of unemployed young people" was increasing in the country.

"Statistics show that at least half of our people are poor. It has to change. We must do this through what Seme taught us. Unity through industrialisation."

She said that South Africa had to industrialise agriculture on a larger scale.

"Food will always be needed. No scientist I know has come up with an alternative to food. SA and Africa can be self-sufficient with food. We must train and modernise people. [We] must give land for this industrialisation."

She welcomed business contributions to economic transformation but said that processes had to be facilitated by government.

"We must support cooperatives and black business. We want Africans in general to be part of the economy. It is all in our hands."

News24