‘Tainted members a blight on the ANC’
Credible leaders sought
THE ANC should be led by its members who are credible and not tainted by blemishes, including corruption and the factionalism currently besetting the governing party.
This is if the stalwarts and veterans of the ANC who are signatories to the document “For the Sake of our Future” have their way. They made this call yesterday following their meeting with the representatives of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) at its Luthuli House headquarters in Joburg.
This came as pressure mounted on the ANC to convene its consultative conference, in addition to the policy conference next year.
“The conference will also need to discuss the selection and election of credible leaders, free of blemishes, factionalism and corruption, based on the precepts expounded in the ANC document ‘Through the Eye of the Needle’,” the ANC stalwarts said in a statement.
The delegation representing the ANC stalwarts and veterans consisted of Wally Serote, Sheila Sisulu, Sydney Mufamadi and Fazel Randera, while the ANC NEC was represented by deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, head of policy Jeff Radebe and treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize.
The meeting was a follow-up to an earlier one held recently to further discuss the proposed consultative conference as a “prelude to the resolution of the crisis confronting the ANC”.
Meanwhile, “concerned” commissars and commanders of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association, led by General Siphiwe Nyanda, will convene a council on December 17 to tackle the challenges besetting the former liberation movement.
Briefing the media at Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia, Sandton, yesterday, the group said the ANC’s national leadership, including the Top Six officials, and veterans would be invited to the council. It would represent all nine provinces and MK’s detachments, including June 16, Barney Molokwane, Luthuli and Isandlwana.
Nyanda said the council would also deliberate on the representation of former MK members at the proposed consultative conference.
He said the unity of the ruling party was of utmost importance in the build-up to the elective conference in December 2017. “We need to build unity and cohesion of the ANC going forward to 2017. We want this national consultative conference to speak to all these areas that are of concern to us, so that we don’t have a divided ANC after the national (consultative) conference. If that happens, the ANC will be on a slippery slope,” said Nyanda.