It will take a strong ANC to save SA - ANC Veterans League praises Andries Nel deployment to Ace's office

Tshidi Madia

President Cyril Ramaphosa with members of the ANC Veterans’ League, left to right, front to back: Snuki Zikalala, Wally Serote, Frank Chikane, Cheryl Carolus, Fazel Randera, Sydney Mufamadi and Mavuso Msimang. (Gallo Images)

 

While ANC leaders often face criticism for putting the party ahead of the country's economic and social well-being, the ANC Veterans League says it will take a strong ANC to save South Africa.

In an interview with News24 on Monday, Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala said the party's infrastructure needed to be firmed up for it to play a more effective role in ensuring that the government delivers when it comes to the party's policies and promises.

"The secretary general's office (SGO) is not as coherent as it should be … That's the driver, the engine of the organisation. Immediately when we get the SGO correct I think things will go smoothly," said Zikalala.

He praised the ANC's leaders for deploying national executive committee (NEC) member Andries Nel to the SGO to assist secretary general Ace Magashule.

Nel is now the co-ordinator of the party's NEC and national working committee (NWC).
"All we know is since Andries came in to help, things are getting better and structured and now, as veterans, we have hope," said Zikalala.

"When we go there, things are not all over the place. We now have well-written documents and a proper agenda and are now able to follow what is happening," he said.

Zikalala said his views on the secretary general's office were not focused on Magashule but on an office that is "critical" to the functioning of the ANC.

Magashule and the Veterans League clashed recently. The former Free State premier allegedly slammed the party's elders in a report to the NEC for ill-discipline and behaving like "ordained commentators".

The Veterans League previously wrote an open letter to the ANC's top six, raising their concerns about an "orchestrated campaign" against former tourism minister Derek Hanekom and current Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan. It claimed it was an attempt to divert attention away from those implicated in corruption and state capture.

Magashule has been implicated several times at the state capture commission of inquiry, most recently by one of his former MECs in the Free State, Mxolisi Dukwana. Speaking in the Free State on the sidelines of an ANC event last week, Magashule said he was not worried about Dukwana's allegations. 

Alliance rushed to judge Mboweni
Zikalala also defended Finance Minister Tito Mboweni against attacks from the ANC's alliance partners.

He said there was "nothing wrong" with Mboweni putting out a discussion document on economic growth and bringing stability to the country's economy.

"Tito, while in office, doesn't represent the ANC. He represents the country. He is supposed to bring economic growth and stability. That's his job," said Zikalala.

Labour federation Cosatu labelled the minister "rogue", while the SACP, which is yet to thoroughly pronounce its views on the economic paper, said it had "serious concerns".

"They rushed to judge Tito, calling him rogue just because a document is there. They didn't come up with alternatives. He also didn't say I am implementing it. If he did, that would be something else," said Zikalala.

The Veterans League president added that alliance partners should just have sought to take Mboweni head-on over the document but said such a document should not be dealt with behind closed doors because it is about the future of society.