The ANC in KwaZulu Natal has agreed to end tribalism and regionalism in the province. This comes after the party's Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) held its annual meeting today to review their performance during the recent elections that were held in May.

END TRIBALISM

Provincial secretary-general Bheki Mtolo said that as the PEC, they are aware of some of their members in the province who were pushing for KZN to be an independent state. "These extreme forms of backwardness found fertile ground within our own structures due to weaknesses in rolling out political education over the years. We have agreed as the PEC that tribalism and regionalism should be resisted in the ANC and society in general. Tribalism happens when a group of people who share or claim to share a common ancestry or past start to lionize themselves against others," Mtolo said. He added that their view is that tribalism is anti-democracy, anti-growth, anti-change, not because of the group itself, but as a result of mobilisation by members of the tribe who are in the upper strata of society.

KZN PUNISHED ANC FOR SENDING ZUMA TO JAIL

According to Mtolo, people in KZN did not vote for the ANC as they were punishing President Cyril Ramaphosa for sending former President Jacob Zuma to jail. Taking a swipe at uMkhonto weSizwe Party without mentioning its name, Mtolo said that the party did not care about the people of KZN. "There is a political party I won't mention that opposed budget votes, essentially showing the people of KwaZulu-Natal a middle figure. As the ANC PEC we have commended the ANC caucus for putting the interest of the people of KwaZulu-Natal on top of the agenda. Our deployees in the legislature displayed depth and understanding of how to play an oversight role over the executive," Mtolo said. He added that they have also agreed that at the local level they will work with parties whom broader common values are shared in order to accelerate service delivery. Mtolo said that the PEC agreed that all efforts must be sustained to ensure that the ANC KZN achieves the historic mission of the ANC of creating a non-racial and united society. "Rebuilding of the ANC and its branches. The PEC agreed on the clear programme of action to rebuild ANC branches across all corners of the province. We accepted that our branches are weak due to prolong institutionalised factionalism and gatekeeping.'