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Cape Town - The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) in the Western Cape told ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa they were concerned about the mixed messages and problems in the ANC's leadership.
''We all know that this is a critical phase for our revolution and we need to be seen to be providing leadership to our members, to the federation and the entire congress movement,'' said Mbulelo January, Western Cape Sadtu chairperson.
Leaders of society
''This is not a time for different messages - the centre should hold,'' said January at the OR Tambo Memorial event at Luhlaza High School in Khayelitsha.
''We should move away from arrogance that causes factionalism. We have a role to play as leaders of society,'' said January.
''We are asking as intellectuals. We are asking you: When are we going to engage in programmes?'' asked January.
In a lengthy address, January said Parliament had been reduced to a ''spaza shop where people howl at each other'' and it blamed the ANC for this.
''Where are we going? And we put that at the door of the ANC because we said you must lead this society.''
Low attendance
He said current developments in the ANC were unprecedented.
''You come from a [National Executive Committee] but you've got different messages. The centre must hold,'' said January.
He specifically referred to statements made by deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, secretary general Gwede Mantashe, and NEC member Pravin Gordhan and MP Makhosi Khoza.
Earlier, branch secretary Vusumzi Muhobi apologised to Kodwa for the low attendance at the lecture.
The halls at Luhlaza High School seats 500 people, but it was around one quarter full by the time Kodwa arrived, almost two hours late. He later apologised and said he had arrived two hours early, earlier in the day.
Muhobe said he had written to alliance partners the ANC, the SA Communist Party and the SA National Civics organisation to invite them to the event, which also falls in the party's heroes month, but they did not appear to have accepted the invitation.
''We are very disappointed,'' he said, adding that Sadtu's Western Cape chapter is one of the biggest in the country.
Muhobe said they chose Kodwa to address them because they did not want a factional voice to address them.
''We wanted a voice of reason,'' he said.
Although the attendance was lower than expected, those present sang loud enough to make up for those not present.
Fared dismally at polls
Earlier Bishop Templeton Mbekwa opened the gathering with prayer.
Instead of his usual fiery ceremonies, he asked everybody to hold hands and implored them to forgive each other and work towards healing the ANC.
Zuma reshuffled his Cabinet on March 30, controversially removing finance minister Pravin Gordhan and his deputy Mcebisi Jonas.
A massive countrywide march was held the following week for Zuma to step down and since then the SA Communist Party has said the same.
In the August 2016 local government elections, the party fared dismally at the polls, by its own admission.
It explained its poor showing in the Western Cape as being a consequence of the fallout with suspended leader Marius Fransman and it has been trying to claw back the support it lost to the Democratic Alliance.
