Blade Nzimande says if the party doesn't deal with this issue decisively, it will face the prospect of an implosion.
Minister of Higher Education Blade Nzimande at the ANC national policy conference on 4 July 2017. Picture: Thomas Holder/EWN
Stephen Grootes | 9 days ago
JOHANNESBURG - Higher Education Minister and SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande says the biggest problem the African National Congress (ANC) has to deal with at its policy conference, is the influence of the Gupta family.
He also says that if the party doesn't deal with this issue decisively, it will face the prospect of an implosion.
Nzimande says it's clear what the ANC needs to do.
"The toxic role of the Guptas at the moment is the single biggest problem of the ANC."
He appears to be backing ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe's diagnostic report that specifically mentioned the Gupta leak emails.
"Unless the ANC addresses what was in that diagnostic report, it's heading for trouble. We don't like it as the SACP."
Last year, Nzimande said if the ANC went to its December conference with two main candidates for the leadership, it risked a wholesale implosion.
The Higher Education Minister also says there's a strong mood in his party that's asking whether in an alliance with the ANC or with the Guptas.
Nzimande says members of his own party are very worried about the ANC.
"Definitely the mood in the party is to say: look, are we still in alliance with the ANC or the Guptas, are we in an alliance with the ANC or with a faction?"
But he says leaving the ANC is not easy and that they won't find an alternative.
"That's why we hope the ANC will be able to address this, if it doesn't, certainly it looks like it's heading in the direction of implosion."
Nzimande also says that he believes it may be time for him to leave the position of SACP general secretary.
The SACP is holding its own conference next week where possibly leaving the ANC-led alliance is on the agenda.
http://ewn.co.za/2017/07/04/nzimande-anc-s-biggest-problem-is-gupta-influence
