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Mosiuoa Lekota, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma at the ANC's 2005 national general council. Photo: Thembinkosi Dwayisa

 We have an obligation to ensure that our continuing struggle is led by people who never, in any way, abuse state power to advance their personal interests - Mbeki 

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• The right to speak out

“I... [am] deeply troubled by a feeling of great unease that our beloved motherland is losing its sense of direction, and that we are allowing ourselves to progress towards a costly disaster,” he said, delivering the Oliver Tambo memorial lecture at the University of Fort Hare, Eastern Cape.

“Today... I am not certain about where our country and nation will be tomorrow, and what I should do in this regard, to respond to what is obviously a dangerous and unacceptable situation of directionless and unguided national drift.” 

Mbeki challenged African National Congress leaders to follow Tambo’s example. He described the former ANC president as a revolutionary leader who fought for South Africa’s liberation without expecting anything in return.

Mbeki said the shooting at Lonmin’s Marikana mine in the North West had signalled “a radical weakening of the national labour relations system”, which had been one of the most important victories in the struggle for democracy.

On August 16, 34 striking Lonmin workers were shot dead in a confrontation with police, during a strike for a monthly wage of R12,500.

Mbeki criticised those in the party who were using state resources to advance personal interests.

“We have an obligation to ensure that our continuing... struggle is led by people who never, in any way, abuse state power to advance their personal interests.” 

He admitted that during his tenure as ANC president he did not help foster an environment to create new leaders for the party.

“I must accept that during the years when I served in the leadership of the ANC, we failed to achieve the objective of sustaining the calibre of a membership made up of politically mature and committed cadres.”  He said the ANC should have been insulated from those who used the party to abuse state power.

“The real and hard truth is that, in this regard, the current leadership of the ANC and the broad democratic movement, at all levels, have inherited this failure, which lies at the base of much that is going wrong in our country.” 

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Fri May 24 10:51:17 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 22, 2012

Ruudboy

Dankie Comrade Mbeki
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Oct 22, 2012

Mbeki_2

I respect a man who can admit when he made a mistake. The ANC can thank showerhead for taking my vote to the opposition in 2014. KM does not deserve to be president bcos he is not standing up to the challenge. . . . he wants us to force him to be president. If he makes a deal with NEC to remain DP then I hope in 2019 that someone ELSE comes thru ranks and takes the chance away from him.

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Oct 22, 2012

kutsukuyi

Please ANC members elect ZUMA again for the second term so that opposition can gain more votes. Come 2014 this country will be ruled by a coalition.I beg you to choose ZUMA over Kgalema for the sake of our Democracy
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Oct 22, 2012

Mpharane

O itlhatswa sefahleho empa dibono di tshwehletse ke mafura. The Marikana case is the result of the Labour Brokers that you had a hand introducing.
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Oct 22, 2012

Dubul'Amanzi

@kutsukuyi Are you mad? We can't allow DA to rule this country...
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Oct 22, 2012

CheeseBoy

I respect a man who admits to making a mistake. I respect the fact that Mbeki admits that he is part of the reason why South Africa has a mighty horny leech milking the country dry with its harem and band of thieves.

Jacob Zuma is without a doubt the worst thing that has happened to our country and Mbeki should be part of the solution in terms of removing this parasite from us.
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Oct 22, 2012

kutsukuyi

@Dubul'Amanzi I'm not mad but realistic. With this Showerman as the leader of the ANC it will happen.
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Oct 22, 2012

BrizzyPistol7

"We have an obligation to ensure that our continuing... struggle is led by people who never, in any way, abuse state power to advance their personal interests.”
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Mbeki, which Rock have you been living under?...lol.
That is just a fallacy.
I also pray for the day Jesus comes back.

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Oct 22, 2012

Sfefenyana

All of us who were under a dark will started to c light nw,Dankie President
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Oct 22, 2012

somaartakeit

Don't worry Mbeki you've done your part Zuma will be remembered as a president who presided of massacre of our ppl, there is nothing he can do to remove this stain, btw whilst you were in exile Sdumo Dlamini told MK to use their skills to DEAL with opposition so ja our liberties gained in 1994 are being eroded.
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