KHAYELITSHA - ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa blamed the party's electoral misfortunes on the struggling economy, unemployment, poor basic services and the damaged party brand.
He addressed a crowd at the Mandela Park stadium in Khayelitsha, delivering the ANC National Executive Committee's January 8th statement.
Ramaphosa says the ANC needs to introspect and rebuild. A once-powerful and mighty liberation movement - battling to retain its dominance.
The ANC took its January 8th statement to the political battleground of the Western Cape; a terrain it once governed but lost.
The party says it is serious about its renewal project and fixing the mistakes that cost it the electoral majority to govern alone. Ramaphosa bemoaned the state of party structures.
He partly blames this for the electoral decline, which led to the party losing its majority and having to negotiate with others for the formation of a government of national unity.
He says the country needs to ensure water security. He also says the ANC-led alliance must be strengthened.
The ANC will hold its National General Council this year. This is a mid-term gathering in between conferences to assess the state of the party and the implementation of its policies.