Magashule makes a clarion call during a political party launch

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Former ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule introduced a new political party, the African Congress of Transformation on Wednesday morning.

This follows his recent expulsion from the governing party ANC. He spent months in the political wilderness after dragging his own party to court in an attempt to get his job back.

Among those in tow included former Hawks head Berning Mthandazo Ntlemeza who is back in the spotlight as Eastern Cape leader.

Mahashule said political party exist for the oppressed and downtrodden masses and that their political party will exist as the custodian of the aspiration of its people and generations to come.

“This political party shall exist to challenge all forms of oppression, discrimination and injustices. We wish to exist to join our people and partner with them, that’s why we are the people’s party.

“We are not going to be a party of leaders, we are community leaders, activists and that’s why our leadership comprises of such across different people living with disability, albinism and so forth.

“There has been a bitter struggle in the African National Congress for its soul. There have been contradictions over the years for the hegemony of progressive ideas within the ANC.

“Sadly, we have seen the oldest organisation moving fast towards the right and abandoning its centre left position. The struggle for the soul of the ANC has witnessed the systematic marginalisation of forces to the left.

“Winnie Mandela was sidelined, Chris Hani was killed cold blood. Julius Malema was expelled for demanding the return of the land, Jacob Zuma was hunted down like a dog for fighting white monopoly capital.

“A new ANC cadre that is endorsed by the DA, a neo-liberal handlers has emerged. The sacrifices of our people who went to exile and those who died in the apartheid gallows must ever be in vain.

“Our people who fought for freedom in South Africa and outside the country their struggle must never be in vain,” he expressed.

Magashule further made a clarion call to all to find a new political home for the homeless, the betrayed and the fatigued. 

He continued; “We make a clarion call to all to join us in the new ship of freedom. We are going to sail together to the true destination of freedom. We are here because we have suffered collective betrayal as people and nation at the hands of the people who claim to be our leaders.

“We have been sold out with few pieces of silver, many town are collapsing such as in the Vaal, if you go to that town, the same streets are still the same today. We as leaders have abandoned and forgotten our masses, the people who actually made us and contributed to freedom and freed us from bondage.

“The legacy of our leaders spit upon with impunity. State assets are privatised and this is one of the reasons we had a fight in the ANC and if you want to know the truth you must ask NUMSA comrades those who were trying to save SAA and when we were at the stage of thinking that we are not going to sell and privatised SAA.

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“You can talk about corporatisation of these assets but the fact of the matter is that they are [privatised] SAA is sold for a song and I believe that Eskom will soon be prioritised, and what must become of all those retrenched workers. The Post Office is going, the judiciary is captured and compromised. There is selective justice, the media is quiet”.

Magashule lamented that the recommendations of the Zondo commissions are gathering dust and those implicated are promoted into high offices and you know them.

“Eighteen women who were raped by the so-called Zama zamas in West Rand are still waiting for justice. A section of politicians, who have never worked have become instant billionaires and multimillionaires while the poor live on a paltry grant of R350, this is how black people are treated.

“The cost of living is skyrocketing and basic food stuff are not subsidised. The issues hunger and famine in our communities, we who are doing door-to-door on daily basis we can see our people are hungry, there is poverty, the middle-class is gone.

“After thirty years of freedom in South Africa everything is collapsing. The freedom charter and its principles has been betrayed in exchange for a free market economy at the expense of the poor.

“The national infrastructure has been destroyed and the standard of living  of our people has  been lowered to tragic levels. Our people have to daily deal with load shedding, water shedding, job shedding this has become our second nature,” he concluded.