Maphatsoe elected to lead MK veterans again

Despite a boycott by senior officers bearers of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association (MKMVA), (or perhaps because of it), the organisation’s fifth national conference voted yesterday for Kebby Maphatsoe to continue as its leader.

Maphatsoe, who is one of President Jacob Zuma’s strongest supporters, also had his title changed from chairperson to president of the organisation.

The MKMVA has been at loggerheads with a number of former MK commanders – some of them opposed to Zuma – who formed the MK Council.

The council claims that many of the supposed MK veterans in the MKMVA’s ranks are not former fighters and many are too young to have taken part in the liberation struggle.

MKMVA has deployed its members on a number of occasions in public – including to defend the ANC’s Luthuli House headquarters and, allegedly, to intimidate South African Communist Party senior leader Solly Mapaila by demonstrating outside his house.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe tried to reconcile the two groups and arrange a joint veterans’ conference at which leaders would be elected, but the MKMVA went ahead.

Maphatsoe said after the conference that all of the delegates were genuine members of MK.

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