The treasurer general of the African National Congress, Mr Mathews Phosa, has warned lazy councilors and mayors to pull up their socks or face the humiliation of expulsion from their posts.

The jovial Phosa turned serious when he talked about serving the people while addressing the Limpopo ANC’s provincial 98th celebration.

Addressing the thousands of party faithful clad in the green and gold, Phosa warned that the organization would not tolerate incompetent officials who were there only to enrich themselves.

“Please pull up your socks and stop betraying the interests of our people or else we will be forced to take you out,” he said. He added that he was worried about the “brain drain’ in the country. “It is sad to find a country like South Africa still having to import educators from neighbouring countries,” he added.

He said the brain drain could only be countered if all stakeholders in education played an active role.

He urged educators to be in class during school hours and for parents to be involved in the education of their children. He said children, if well looked after, would sober up and concentrate on their studies, thus enabling the country to have the much needed skills without having to import them from other countries.

Phosa also thanked South Africans who were involved in peace missions in countries like Congo, Burundi and Haiti and said this was only made possible by the democracy brought about by the ANC. “Our democracy is not only for this country, but should benefit all mankind throughout the world,” said Phosa.

Former members of the ANC who had defected to other parties were welcomed back to the party during the celebrations.