Item 106 - Statement of the President of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, on speculation that a cabal has seized control of the ANC

TRANSCRIPT

Recent reports in the media have fuelled speculation to the effect that a cabal have seized control of the African National Congress and are transforming it to their own purposes. These allegations have further insinuated that Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa heads this group.

I categorically repudiate these allegations and insinuations as malicious lies, invented by persons with dubious motives. It is a matter of record, with which both the media and the purveyors of these slanders are conversant, that all the members of the National Executive Committee of the ANC were elected in a national conference by secret ballot. No person holds office in the ANC except by the will of the majority of the membership, at branch, regional or national level. This applies to Comrade Cyril Ramaphosa as it does to every other member of our leadership bodies. I place it on record that Comrade Cyril enjoys my fullest confidence as the Secretary-General of the ANC and I reject any innuendos that call into question his integrity or his competence.

Much as I appreciate the depth of feeling of those who are making these allegations, I would admonish them to consider the impact of their statements and innuendos. They have already conveyed the false impression that the ANC is an organisation riven with tensions and factions. This is a disservice to the organisation they claim allegiance to and serves to undermine public confidence in its capacity to provide leadership to our people and our country.