Statement

The ANC Veterans League welcomes the theme for the 114th year of the African National Congress, the year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy. We welcome the January 8th Statement delivered by Cde President Ramaphosa and the call to action as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the June 16th uprising and the 30th anniversary of the coming into being of our democratic Constitution.

With a world in turmoil, marked by increasing illegal military aggression, it is an honour to be part of and contribute to a movement that has respected and promoted democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and peace since its birth in 1912.

As the Veterans League, we add our voices to the condemnation of the capture of the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the United States government. As many have said, the rules-based international world order is being severely undermined by the President of the United States at great risk to all of us.

It is a tribute to the legacy of the African National Congress that the newly elected Mayor of New York quoted our Freedom Charter in his inauguration speech – using the phrase from the Freedom Charter, that New York belongs to all who live in it. Indeed, an ongoing guarantee for peace and security in South Africa is that we embrace all who live in it.

This year, the people of our country will be putting the ANC to the test. We will pass the test not only if we improve delivery to our people, but also if we respect and involve them in building our country and the economy.

And the most essential way to restore respect in the ANC is for us to demonstrate ethical leadership.

2026 is the year of the local government elections. To those local government councillors who are working hard with residents to provide services, keep our cities and towns clean and safe, we salute you. Your service to the people is the best guarantee of the ANC returning to power and of your return to your posts.

To those who have sought office for access to tenders and jobs, who engage with water tanker mafia or with shack farming, who do not report back to residents, and do not build ward committees, you have no place in the ANC as our political representatives.

Towards the end of last year, the NEC approved the process for the nomination of councillors for the forthcoming elections. In the past, we have erred in adhering to these processes. We have not verified all prospective candidates; there have been allegations of list manipulation, and we have often neglected or paid lip service to the steps set out for community consultation.As the Veterans League, we call on all ANC structures to diligently observe these codified processes. We must ensure that the best, most upright, most diligent and most energetic leaders in our community are nominated as councillors. There must be checks in place, such as police clearance certificates, to ensure that candidates who are unworthy of nomination do not make their way onto ANC election lists.

Veterans League members, many of whom have served as political representatives, are here to offer support and guidance throughout this process. In addition, we stand ready to support and monitor ANC councillors so they can address service delivery challenges.

While many local government challenges require systemic solutions, including a review of legislation and strengthening governance mechanisms, in the run-up to the elections, improvements can be achieved through rapid-response teams and councillors becoming more responsive to residents. All ANC members should play a role by reporting through the ANC-established WhatsApp and email lines.

Comrades, we recently held a successful National General Council, with a strong focus on renewing the ANC. We expect that the NGC will take forward the resolutions to ensure strong ethical leadership, strengthen branches, and review internal election procedures.

We want to see the strengthening of step-aside measures so that no one with allegations of corruption is in positions of authority that could taint the ANC’s image. We want to see machinery put in place so that lifestyle audits and verification do indeed happen timeously.

Work must start soon on proposed amendments to the ANC Constitution to strengthen members’ responsibilities, the role of branches and electoral reform, so that these amendments can be adopted at our 2027 National Conference.

The Veterans League stands behind the efforts of the ANC leadership to renew the ANC and to continue leading the country in a turbulent world. As the Veterans League, we continue to grow. At the end of last year, we successfully held our Gauteng Provincial Conference, where 300 delegates represented 1,695 members from 36 branches. They elected a 20-member-strong PEC, led by Cde Firoz Cachalia as chairperson and Cde Ruth Lungu as secretary.

This year, we will continue championing political education and intergenerational learning, especially as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the June 16th uprising. We now have amongst the ranks of the veterans’ league, the youth of the 1976 generation. We will answer the call made by Cde President in the January 8th Statement to complete the mission of national liberation and transformation. But we will not hold onto the baton that today’s generation of youth must take over to become the principal agents of the struggle for a social and economic transformation.

We must work hard to win the coming local government elections. The Veterans League will be joining and urging all ANC members to roll up their sleeves for face-to-face, door-to-door engagement and community meetings from today to reconnect with our people!

Amandla! Maatla! Towards a local government election victory!

Enquiries:
Cde Snuki Zikalala (ANCVL President)
Tel: 082 561 3900.