The civic movement pointed out that Ramaphosa’s leadership represents a departure from anarchy towards good governance, accountability and stability and that any other option will spell disaster for the ANC and its revolutionary alliance in the 2024 elections.

“The watershed 55th National Conference will undeniably be a defining one to consolidate the unity and renewal process as well as deepen transformation,” highlighted SANCO Provincial Chairperson Paul Sebegoe.

Sebegoe stressed that it therefore demands that delegates that will be attending the conference should approach the task ahead united because divisions will not serve any purpose but to weaken the ANC.

 “It would deny delegates from the province the opportunity to meaningfully influence national policy debates and key resolutions to be taken during the festival of ideas that will shape the future of our country,” he maintained.

He cautioned that the North West should not allow ethnic factionalism, narrow self-interest and the fight back strategy by architects and beneficiaries of state capture to dominate the public discourse as well as determine the outcome of the conference as this will compromise the objective to reposition the glorious movement for victory in the 2024 elections.

“Previous conferences have failed to guarantee that our province is recognised and taken seriously because our infighting has reduced us to be regarded as an insignificant,” emphasised Sebegoe  

He added that while the province has the potential to forward capacitated and seasoned cadres to serve the movement at the level of the NEC, this has evaded it because it had failed to recognise and celebrate such leaders.

He expressed hope that this time around, delegates should not be confused by political rhetoric and empty slogans of the divisive to forget candidates from the province that they should support.

“Our unity will translate into strategic deployment of cadres to serve as Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Director-Generals, Ambassadors as well as to key levers of the economy and state-owned enterprises. Disunity will on the contrary discard us to the doldrums of isolation and to the periphery of insignificance,” underscored Sebegoe.

He concluded that the biggest losers, when the conference wraps up, should be tribalism, myopic individualism, liberalism, greed and corruption that seek to entrench factionalism at the expense of unity and organisational renewal.

Statement supplied.