Former International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Naledi Pandor, has delivered a strong warning to the African National Congress (ANC), declaring that the once-revered liberation movement has “lost its glory.”
Speaking during a memorial lecture on Sunday, Pandor said South Africans now view the ANC with “disdain” and urged the party to reflect deeply on its leadership choices.
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“It is possible, comrades, to restore our lost glory. And 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,” Pandor said.
Her remarks were made during the centenary celebration of former ANC Women’s League president Gertrude Shope, who passed away in May this year.
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Naledi Pandor Calls for Selfless Leadership to Restore Trust
Pandor emphasised that the ANC’s survival and ability to regain majority support depended on choosing leaders committed to serving the people rather than personal interests. She said the decline in trust stemmed from leaders forgetting their responsibility to the nation.
“This area is our biggest fault line. We have forgotten that we exist to serve the people, that we exist for the people.
“We need to bring that back by scrutinising very carefully the leaders that we affirm and by ensuring that if our leaders fail at their duty, whatever position they occupy, we will hold them to account,” she said.
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Reflecting on Shope’s contribution to the ANC and the women’s movement, Pandor reminded the audience that the veteran activist believed in the party’s ability to renew itself.
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She stressed that Shope’s vision of an ANC grounded in accountability and people-centred leadership should inspire the movement’s future path.
Pandor’s speech adds to growing calls from within the ANC for urgent renewal as the party faces declining public trust and the challenge of maintaining its electoral dominance.
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