Mbeki Acknowledges ANC Still Needs to Work on Fulfilling its Promises

Former ANC president Thabo Mbeki campaigns for the ANC at the Jabulani Mall in Soweto on 25 April 2024. Picture: Katleho Jiyane/Eyewitness News

DURBAN - Former President Thabo Mbeki has acknowledged that the African National Congress (ANC) still needed to work on fulfilling promises made to the people.

Mbeki said the party must live up to the commitments it made in honour of its late struggle veterans. 

He made the remarks at the Heroes Acre in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, where he laid wreaths at the graves of late struggle veterans, Moses Mabhida and Johnny Makatini.

Mbeki said the ANC had an obligation to keep promises made to the people because this was something some fought for. 

"We must make sure the movement that they led and sacrificed everything for, as I was saying, they both [Mabhida and Makatini] died in action, we must ensure that the ANC lives up to the promises it makes to the people. It’s an obligation we owe it to them." 

He acknowledged that South Africa still faced many challenges, especially when it came to service delivery.

"If we say that we are going to solve the water problem, let’s solve it, we are going to solve the energy problem of electricity, let’s solve it." 

Mbeki added that senior party leaders with no interest in positions must make the renewal of the ANC their task.