Former ANC Chairperson Terror Lekota on Saturday opened the national convention by warning that the country was in serious danger of reverting back to "apartheid-era style" if South Africans did not challenge the African National Congress leadership.

Lekota, who received a standing ovation from the crowd who chanted "Bua, Bua, Bua" (speak) as he took to the podium, said the current African National Congress leadership was no longer committed to principles of democracy adopted by the country in 1994.

He said the hope that came after 1994 was being replaced with despair.

"The evolution of politics in our country has communicated an undiluted message that the dominant political forces in our country are no longer interested or committed to leading our country to achieve the eradication of the colonial and apartheid legacy we inherited in 1994," he said.

"The threat the nation faces is that we will see the reaffirmed (sic) of important elements of this terrible legacy under new masters."

Looming divorce

Lekota and former defence deputy Mluleki George were suspended from the ANC on October 13 for saying in public that there was a looming "divorce" by disgruntled members.

Mbhazima Shilowa, the former Gauteng premier resigned from his post and the party because he was upset by the way former president Thabo Mbeki had been removed from his position.

He has thrown his weight behind the convention, which aims to discuss issues like respect for the rule of law, housing, healthcare and the state of the country's democracy.

With a party disciplinary inquiry still pending, Lekota resigned the day before the convention, which may lead to the formation of a new political party, started.

"The dominant political forces are determined to abuse their power to advance their personal interest and those of their supporters, contrary to the aspirations of the masses of the people," he continued.

He said they had been "hard at work" removing patriots from office who had a record of serving the masses of the people.

"For this very reason, they have resolved to use all means and methods at their disposal to crush anybody and any institution which, in keeping with the goals of our democracy upholds the objectives of the democratic order and thus stands as an obstacle to the achievement of their selfish goals."

"Campaign of attrition"

He said there was a "campaign of attrition" to remove councillors, mayors, MECs and premiers from their positions, referring to recent change of premiers in the Eastern and Western Cape.

Lekota himself has been a premier of the Free State in the 1990s, but he and ANC official Ace Magashule were removed from the province after an ANC investigation into divisions there.

Lekota said the removal of these people was to enable dominant political forces to "have a door to the achievement of the goal of the abuse of state power for personal benefit".

He said the new ANC leadership was determined to use all means to crush anybody who tried to protect the Constitution.

The Convention, Lekota said, was proof that a majority of South Africans were not prepared to watch helplessly as the country was being pushed back to the dark days of the apartheid era where abuse of state power and the use of State resources to enrich a few, was the order of the day.

Stand up and fight

"We are ready and we will stand up and fight," he said.

Lekota was a key figure in the anti-apartheid movement and was minister of defence until September.

Last year he outraged some ANC members for criticizing the t-shirts they wore and the songs they sang in support of Jacob Zuma during his corruption trial and in the run up to his election as party president over Thabo Mbeki.

At that elective conference, he was booed repeatedly and, as chairperson, battled to call the conference to order.

Sapa