ANC's Mbalula: Pandor won't be reprimanded for saying party has lost its glory, public faith

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) says it sees no need to reprimand its stalwart Naledi Pandor after she made public comments that the party had lost its glory and public faith.

Pandor made these comments at the weekend during an event commemorating the life of former ANC Women’s League president, Gertrude Shope.

At a media briefing, the party said it was not above criticism from its own members.

"We have lost our glory, let’s not pretend about it. The people are looking at us with disdain. The people are looking at us with horror and shame."

These were the scathing remarks made by Pandor on the current state of the party.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the media had distorted her message.

Mbalula said that Pandor’s comments spoke to the party’s renewal agenda.

"I read in the newspapers that Naledi must be disciplined. For what? Because she is saying the right things that the leadership of the ANC and its veterans are expected to say and to remind us all the time that these things must happen, not the leadership that says we are failing."

Mbalula said her comments were different to those of ANC NEC members, Senzo Mchunu and Malusi Gigaba, who openly criticised ANC-adopted policies, like going into coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA).