Message of support from the African National Congress Veterans League to Sinn Fein 2024 ARD FHEIS

President Mary Lou McDonald

National Chairperson Declan Kearney and other office bearers

Veteran leader and good friend of the ANC, Cde Gerry Adams

Delegates, comrades

It is a great honour to be here today, representing the African National Congress Veterans League at your 2024 Ard Fheis.

Sinn Fein and the African National Congress – the ANC – have had a long history of working together, being in solidarity with each other as we have fought for the liberation of our peoples and taking common stands against global injustice, the cause of the Palestinian people and addressing the challenges of climate change.

I am standing before you today as the President of the ANC Veteran’s League, an organisation autonomous but not independent from our mother body, the ANC.  Membership of the Veterans League is restricted to ANC members who have served for 40 years or more as ANC members or in the struggle against apartheid and are over 60 years of age.   We thus see ourselves as the custodians of the values and legacy of our movement, the ANC.

In this era of populism, ethnonationalism, and ongoing colonialism and imperialism, the role of progressive parties like ours is not always easy. Sinn Fein’s successes in continuing to mobilise the Irish people behind progressive values and strategies deserve applause. 

Within the ANC in South Africa, there has been a significant contestation on the nature and character of our party in recent years.  In South  Africa, we have coined the concept of ‘state capture’, which can be regarded as systematic political corruption where the actions of unscrupulous business people take control of state institutions to further their private pecuniary interests.  But for state capture to succeed in South Africa, the ANC had to be captured first.

This was a dark time in South Africa—we call it the nine wasted years between 2009 and 2014, during which our economy suffered, and gains in addressing poverty, unemployment, and inequality were reversed. And then, like yourselves, we were hit by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, which further set us back in achieving our socio-economic outcomes. 

The poor state of our economy and a weakened and less capacitated state contributed to a decline in the ANC’s election fortunes.

What also contributed negatively was the perception that we were not dealing harshly with individuals who are implicated in state capture.

In general elections held in May this year, for the first time since we attained power at the end of apartheid 30 years ago, the ANC received less than 50% of the vote—41% instead.

However, we have successfully assembled a Government of National Unity, led by the ANC and consisting of ten political parties. Recently, at the United Nations, the ANC President and president of our country called this a ‘second miracle’ after our democratic transition. There is a new sense of optimism and confidence that we can continue to work together to address our challenges.

Dear Cdes we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

But, as I am sure you understand, a government can’t flourish unless guided by a solid and united party, free from rampant patronage and corruption.  The ANC Veterans League has been at the forefront of the campaign to renew the ANC internally.  We believe we must renew or perish.

Our renewal campaign involves tightening membership eligibility, improving political education, reconnecting with our people, and, most importantly, ridding the organisation of people who bring it into disrepute. While I spend time with you during your conference, I hope to learn lessons on how you maintain a strong progressive political party.

In the speech mentioned above of President Ramaphosa to the United Nations 79th Session of the General Assembly, he spoke about the crisis and genocide in Gaza, the ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Yemen, Ukraine and the Sahel region.  He called for a United Nations that is more representative and inclusive to fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security. He also talked about other emerging crisis facing all of us – pandemics and climate change.

Sinn Fein and the ANC hold similar positions on these international issues. You have stood in solidarity with the people of Palestine and are active in contributing to reducing carbon emissions. As progressive parties, we need to continue to work together to address these serious threats to the future of our world for future generations.

In South Africa, we say Amandla!  Power!  Power to the people!

I thank you.

Dr Snuki Zikalala

President of the ANCVL.