Speakers Notes

Good morning Cde Panyanza Lesufi -Chairperson of the ANC in Gauteng, and members of the ANCVL -Provincial Task Team in Gauteng.

The NEC of the ANCVL which held its meeting on the 17 and 18 August 2024, considered the current -conjuncture and imperatives facing the ANC and the country. There was a strong focus on renewal and the role of the VL in making it happen—it’s renew or perish! The NEC meeting revised its programme of action for the next period.   

The meeting was addressed by Cde David Makhura, head of political education and Cde Thabo Mbeki, who explained the National Dialogue at the meeting.

The Veterans League confirmed the approach of the ANC NEC that the drop in electoral support reflects a strategic setback—we are in government, but we have lost power. The meeting also reflected on the fact that we are facing a number of crises in the ANC, governance, democracy, the economy, and the national question with the rise of ethnonationalism and racial polarisation.

However, we were able to grab victory from the jaws of defeat – by succeeding in establishing the GNU. The government remains an ANC-led government.   If was emphasised that if we can focus on service delivery and improve the conditions of our people, populism, anti-constitutionalism, and xenophobia will become irrelevant. These views succeed in attracting  people because the living conditions of people are not being addressed.

For this reason, we need to make the GNU work and assert the hegemony of the ANC in GNU. Communicating to our  people that we  also emphasised that this election was fought on local government elections and that is why the critical challenges facing municipalities must be addressed if we hope to win the 2026 local government elections.  A point was also made about the dangers of opportunistic coalition formations.

In respect of the ANC, the message from the NEC is that we must renew or perish and that a significant overhaul of  our organisation including to:

• • Enforce discipline and integrity;
  • Strengthen ideological work and political education;
  • Tighten membership and recruitment; and
  • Improved communications.

The NEC meeting reiterated the need for renewal to be mainstreamed throughout the movement with the following priorities:

Firstly, to reconnect and work among the people.  All of us comrades must be visible where we live, interact in our communities, working with the people and civil society organisations. We must be part of implementation when government does not deliver.

Secondly, the ANC’s membership needs to be renewed. Going forward, the Veterans League agreed that we should consider balancing the quality of membership with the character of the ANC as a mass party.

We should be mindful that we are a mass organisation that requires a programme of mass political education that will provide quality political and academic education to its members. No individual must be left behind.

Cde Chair kindly allow me to divert a bit. We should not be shy to say that our country must be led by people with greatest talent and best characters chosen according to merit. Our society must be based on effort and merit and not wealth or privilege depending on birth.

Our leaders must come from different language groups. From poor and middle-class homes. These men and women must rise through their own merit, hard work, high performance and be incorruptible.

Back to my script, the NWC will further consider how to tighten membership and renew it prior to a dedicated ANC NEC meeting where this will be discussed.

The third renewal priority is organisational renewal.  For this to be progressed, ideally constitutional amendments are required for example to set up sector-based branches and to prohibit those with a criminal record to be ANC members. 

However, in the meantime, we believe that the NEC can develop guidelines for implementation.

An important part of organisational renewal is increased requirements for political education to progress in the organisation.  The political education department with the support of veterans are finalising a Foundation Course which all potential members need to complete.

The fourth renewal priority is our integrity agenda. As you all know, comrades, the Veterans League’s position is that all those who have brought the organisation into disrepute must not be deployed to positions of leadership in the organisation and government. We have also demanded the urgent processing of Integrity Commission reports as well as reports from the Motlanthe, Dlamini Zuma, and other Commissions by the NEC.

To advance the integrity agenda and promote ethical leadership, the list process for elections and the step-aside resolution needs to be reviewed so that more effective consequence management can be achieved in our organization.

Comrades, the NEC updated its programme of action for the next year with a focus on three areas: organizing the Veterans League, renewing the ANC, and making service delivery a priority so that we win the 2026 local government elections.

We said that as the Veterans League, we should focus on doing a few things well—in line with our history and experience. This includes sharing skills as former Parliamentarians and MPL’s with current MPs and political education. We should do this mindful that we want to support and help other ANC structures, not tell them what to do.

At the NEC meeting of the ANCVL, we had an important discussion about our role in relation to older people. We should promote issues of older people so that they look up to us as their representatives. In particular, we should campaign against the abuse of elderly people.

To organise the Veterans League, the role particular in this province is clear. We must recruit members, verify them, demarcate and set up branches, and prepare for the provincial conference by November this year. After that, we can set up regions where necessary.

The NEC also finalised a plan of action of the Veterans League for renewal starting from 1 September.  This plan requires that all inclusive provincial renewal committees.  Should be in place soon.

I hope that this meeting today will discuss how to implement the renewal programme in your province.

Members of the ANCVL in Gauteng province should be committed to support all initiatives that are meant to rebuild ANC structures, help in providing quality services regarding provision of water, getting rid of sewer in our townships, electricity, potholes and encouraging communities to be part of Community Policing forums.

Our townships must be safe places for our children and communities.

Lastly comrades we received a report from the Treasurer General. We do not have funds at all.The provincial treasure of the ANCVL must raise funds that will support the activities of the ANCVL and the ANC .We may have to consider having a levy of twenty rands a month a member from those who can afford.

We all need to put our hands together and work together to make our Veterans League and the ANC work.

Amandla!