The ANC has successfully led society in their drive to achieve freedom for all South Africans irrespective of race, gender and religious orientation. We have mobilised society to reject all forms of abuse in the best interest of an objective to deliver a free and prosperous society where all people live in harmony.

In the post democratic dispensation, we have led society through all difficulties and our policies have developed the country to date. In the past 15 years of governance, we have promulgated a number of laws and legislations aimed at promotion of democratic principles.

In the past six years or so, the ANC has become the opposite of its former self on account of its performance in government. We shifted from the most respected ruling party to a laughing stock not only in the country but across the globe. The ANC shifted from being a leader of society to a ruling party compromised by those it deployed to lead in government. The most difficult assignment is that instead of leading society and providing services to the people as the ruling party, we moved to an organisation of media conferences in defence of all wrongdoings and shenanigans committed by our people (leadership) in government.

We have since become a liberation movement engulfed and captured by corruption so much that our people are slowly moving from remembering and respecting us for the good work well done in defeating apartheid and creating democratic institutions, to a corrupt movement. Our comrades have become reluctant to even wear our organisational regalia in public except for when we have events and this accounts for the embarrassment they feel and the humiliation of being associated with corruption in government which our organisation is accused of embracing.\

As an ANC and ANCYL NEC member, receiving invitations to address gatherings of young people in the ANC and travelling the across country, one has picked up that our people love the ANC and the current state of the organisation is disheartening for them. Our people have their hopes in the ANC changing its ways and working hard to curb corruption in government, which it leads.

Our people expect nothing from the ruling party except for the ANC to lead society; people want water, roads infrastructure, electricity and housing for the poor and all those homeless but then the outlook in government gives no hope to our people, and this is a worrying factor.

In light of our observations made during conversations held with branch leaders including addresses at gatherings, the forthcoming national elective conference presents an opportunity for us to correct errors committed during the past years.

As the conference draws closer, we need to identify credible and trusted cadres with befitting credentials as candidates to take over leadership at the conference. The principle of continuity and change should guide us; equally, generational mix should play a major role in our determination of comrades who should constitute the NEC to take South Africa forward.

Now that presidential candidates have thrown their hats in the ring and confirmed their readiness to lead the ANC should branches entrust them with such responsibility, I think it’s time we start talking about credible candidates for the position of Secretary-General of the ANC come national elective conference.

One has come to analyse and critically make an assessment of the current finer material the ANC has, paying attention to the aspect of continuity and change, generational mix and credibility, in a quest to identify a leader who in my belief is equal to a task of the position of secretary-general of the congress movement.

Those we have met and addressed have echoed a call for Comrade Senzo Mchunu to make himself available for the position of Secretary-General and I have personally come to reconcile my preferences to such a call after consideration of his credentials in the ANC.

In the current crop of cadres of his generation, Comrade Senzo Mchunu is a cadre with unparalleled credentials. He was the first regional secretary of northern Natal in 1991, a responsibility he discharged with distinction resulting in him being elected a provincial secretary in 1994 in KwaZulu-Natal.

Comrade Senzo Mchunu is the longest-serving provincial secretary of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal who served with distinction, a position he held until he resigned in 1999 as he took up state responsibility following his appointment as an MEC. During the 1999 conference, he was again elected an ordinary provincial executive committee member as he was then MEC in the provincial government.

In the wake of the 2012 National Conference which saw Cde Zweli Mkhize elected treasurer of the ANC, leaving a vacuum in the PEC, Comrade Mchunu was then elected the provincial chairperson at a provincial general council and consequently appointed the premier of the KwaZulu-Natal province.

What is left now is for branches to officially endorse his candidacy as and when the nominations process starts. We all know of his courage, composure and discipline, so much that we remain confident he will then swiftly accept the responsibility to lead us.

His esteemed history and experience as secretary within the ranks of the ANC are the tools we need in the quest of rebuilding the ANC.

Cde Senzo Mchunu for Secretary-General. I will be lobbying ANC members and himself to accept the nomination. DM

Rhulani Thembi Siweya is an NEC member of the ANCYL, former TG of Sasco, and writes in her personal capacity