Veterans can uplift ANC – Ramaphosa

THE ANC had reconnected with party stalwarts and veterans as they had an important role to play in reviving the governing party, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

Ramaphosa held a meeting with the Veterans League yesterday and said the stalwarts’ participation in the ANC would “lift the party”.

‘’We have views about what is to be done, what the role of the stalwarts should be in this new dawn that we are in. They are the custodians and guardians of our movement,’’ Ramaphosa said.

‘’They’ve been in the trenches and contributed greatly to the growth of our movement, so we invited them to participate more actively in the various campaigns that the ANC will be involved in, including the election campaign… we are all one thing.’’

Previously, veterans did not see eye to eye with party leaders under former president Jacob Zuma’s leadership. The elders accused Zuma of sowing divisions and urged him to resign.

The veterans have called for an all-inclusive consultative conference since 2016 in the wake of the infighting within the party, and expressed concerns that the ANC’s deepening crisis, attributed to corruption and factionalism, required urgent attention.

League president Snuki Zikalala said the elders were ready to work with the ANC again. – African News Agency (ANA)