Veterans league takes issue with Mbalula over comments on undermining ANC

The African National Congress Veterans League (ANCVL) said it is regrettable that the Secretary General of the the governing party Fikile Mbalula has made allegations against the league for undermining the governing party.

The comments by the league comes after the resignation of its deputy president and struggle veteran Mavuso Msimang and the rebuke by Mbalula on Wednesday.

Stop attacking ANC

Msimang, said that the ANC  was on the verge of losing power as he threw in the towel and dumped the governing party, just hours after Mbalula ranted against those he said were “de-campaigning” the party.

Mbalula called on the veterans to stop attacking the party and its leaders.

“We call upon the veterans of the ANC to stop de-campaigning the ANC and work through the    structures of the organisation. The leadership from its President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and all of us have availed ourselves of counsel and direction by veterans and stalwarts.”

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Corruption

Snuki Zikalala, ANCVL President, said they will continue to raise issues of corruption internally in the organisation.

“Further, we will continue to engage at provincial and national levels in the list processes to take a stand against individuals who are implicated in corrupt activities including those fingered by the Zondo Commission being part of election lists for provincial and national legislatures.

“We reject the allegation that by doing this, we are undermining the ANC. We believe this is the only path to renew the ANC and restore the legitimacy of the ANC in the eyes of the people,” Zikalala said.

Zikalala added that they believe the governing party is the only organisation that can best take forward the “interests of the poor and is committed to our constitutional democracy including the Bill of Rights and the rule of law”.

“As the ANCVL we will remain committed to bringing back the integrity and dignity of the organisation and win the coming elections with a resounding victory,” Zikalala said.

Declining support

In his resignation letter, Msimang said the corruption the ANC once decried was now part of the party’s DNA.

He said this was also one of the reasons why the ANC was facing a dramatic decline in next year’s general elections, a claim Msimang said was also reflected in internal polls conducted by the ANC.

The 82-year-old Mavuso, who was elected deputy president of the ANC Veterans League at its conference in July, is a former member of the ANC’s armed wing, uMkhonto We Sizwe (MK).

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