ANC secretary general Ace Magashule says the ANC has done a disservice to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela by not recognising her role in the liberation movement sooner.
Magashule was one of the speakers at a memorial service for Madikizela-Mandela hosted by the ANC Women's League (ANCWL) at Regina Mundi Church in Soweto on Thursday.
He told the church that he had watched the eNCA broadcast of the documentary Winnie, directed by French filmmaker Pascale Lamche, on Wednesday night.
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The documentary contained, among other things, the testimony of former apartheid strategic communications (Stratcom) members who revealed the extent to which the security branch plotted to discredit Madikizela-Mandela through the media.
"You have heard what apartheid agents said. I was watching this thing yesterday on (channel) 403," Magashule told the crowd.
"We have done a disservice to comrade Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. We did not want to recognise her and her contribution in the history of struggle of black people in South Africa.
"That's the mistake we have committed. It was not committed by anybody, we are not blaming anybody, we must blame the organisation, because today we are talking about her, and all saying nice things."
'What makes us fight? Is it these resources?'
It was not just Madikizela-Mandela who had suffered as a result, he continued.
"Because of agent provocateurs, we have wronged many, many, many comrades. Today it is worse. We are more infiltrated today because we are dealing with our own."
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Those who "had not struggled", were blaming those who had, and those who were fighting, were those "comfortable with the present situation", he claimed.
"Today we can't forgive one another. We can't forgive each other. What makes us fight? Is it these resources, this money?" he asked.
"In the ANC, we must forgive each other and one another. We belong to one family."
Madikizela-Mandela had become the defining hero for many young boys and girls in Gauteng during apartheid, because she was the one they saw while other leaders were in exile or jail, he said.
Call for documentary to be broadcast on SABC
The ANC needed to stand up for radical economic transformation, or else black men and women would "remain where they are".
"This is the time to wake up. The spear has fallen. We must unite the movement," Magashule said.
"We are appealing to all of you, South Africans, especially members of the ANC, let us unite, let us rebuild the ANC, the movement of our people."
He called on all members, especially women, who formed the majority of members at branch level, to change the character of the ANC.
Another speaker, a member of the ANC Youth League, said the SABC needed to be lobbied to air the documentary.
The memorial continued on Thursday.
