The ANC’s Mayihlome rally, held yesterday at the Mabhida Stadium in eThekwini, where the party unveiled its manifesto, conveyed a significant message: the movement is resolute in its commitment to good governance as it prepares to run for re-election to govern the nation for a further five years.
In his brief address to his supporters on Friday night in Durban, President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a preview of what was to come on Saturday.
He was animated and assertive, saying that only his party has the experience to govern the nation and that the ANC would put great effort to address any shortcomings and missteps from the past. The ANC promised to restore optimism among “our people” once they assume power on May 29.
The loadshedding that accompanies the electricity crisis, the faltering economy, youth unemployment, and overall unemployment, were all factors that would be reconsidered.
The ANC’s luminaries, such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, and many more, have left South Africans yearning for a better life.
Ramaphosa reiterated this goal again and again yesterday, where he spoke to thousands of supporters about what the ANC leadership’s plan was to bring the party back to the position of power it has held for the previous 30 years.
Ramaphosa informed them that all ANC supporters need to arm themselves for the impending electoral battleground, which they need to control come election day.
The isiZulu word “mayihlome” means “a nation that prepares itself for battle with the faith that it will win”.
In his remarks yesterday, Ramaphosa referred to the ANC’s resolve to eradicate corruption and ineptitude from the government and to revitalise the organisation. These references show Ramaphosa’s audacity to wage a different kind of war – that is, to use all available human resources to improve his organisation to win back the people’s right to vote and form government.
When interpreted in its broadest sense, “mayihlome” precisely implies that: to equip those in positions of authority with the knowledge and abilities to lead not just for their own purpose but also to benefit the general populace.
Ultimately, South Africans who are persuaded to support the ANC, in Ramaphosa’s opinion, can expect nothing less from their “glorious movement” than a government dedicated to doing good by reinstating hope where it has been undermined by corruption, inefficiency and a lack of service delivery.
In 2021, as the ANC prepared itself for the local government elections, Ramaphosa then told his faithful: “We face a moment in history when we must choose between the path of division, conflict, destruction, inequality and exclusion, and the path of unity, hard work, development, inclusivity and shared prosperity.”
The good counsel Ramaphosa offered to the faithful still applies today.
The ANC will be judged not based on platitudes but on what it concretely does, which is to better peoples’ lives. And this was Ramaphosa’s message yesterday. And South Africans are waiting.
