POLITICS

Unity of purpose needed in ANC - ANCWL

League also says leadership needed to decisively tackle fraud and corruption in public and private sector

ANCWL STATEMENT ON THE PROCESS TOWARDS 54TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE ANC 

The African National Congress Women's League (ANCWL) has noted that most of the African National Congress (ANC) branches and Provinces have concluded their Branch General Meetings (BGM's) and Provincial General Councils (PGC's) respectively.

Even though some branches experienced challenges, the process provided the ANC and its structures with an opportunity to learn and improve ANC processes on leadership nominations. The ANCWL applauds all the branches that run the process with no hindrances. The ANC must resolve all the outstanding branch disputes and ensure that all branches of ANC in good standing are represented in the 54th National Conference. No branch in good standing should not form part of the conference of branches.

The ANCWL is disturbed by the emergence of tendencies of using Courts to resolve ANC internal matters. In its 54th National Conference, the ANC must resolve on how to curb such tendencies or else the ANC will spend much of its time in Courts than focusing on leading the society. ANC members who undermine the internal arbitration processes and taking the ANC to Courts before exhausting all internal process must be persuaded to desist from such behaviours. 

The ANCWL reiterates its calls for unity of purpose in the ANC. ANC remains the only hope of many of South Africans and therefore it's unity is sacrosanct. It is upon all the members of the ANC to work towards making the ANC an even more effective instrument of liberation in the hands of the people, and defend the unity and integrity of the Organisation and its principles, and combat any tendency towards disruption and factionalism. 

The ANCWL leadership collective, carrying the mandate of supporters and members of the organisation will continue having frank deliberations with ANC structures countrywide on the type of cadres required in the ANC NEC. 

The deliberations will be informed by the current challenges faced by the ANC and the country at large. There is a need to find a common ground and elect tried and tested leaders who will restore the confidence of all South Africans on the ANC. 

The ANC and South Africa needs leadership who will decisively tackle fraud and corruption in the public and private sector which is robbing the country resources to address the needs of the poor and working class. Our current struggle also requires leaders who will fearlessly intensify programs to eradicate the current dominance of the minority in various economic sectors in the country which is not assisting in building a united, non-racial prosperous country and healing the division of the past.

There is dire need for leadership who will advance the interest of the masses and not gravitate towards fulfilling only the interest of business. The deliberations on leadership will not be a cosmetic self-interest exercise at the expense of the poor and working class.

It will be based on *Unity of Purpose* and putting high on the list, leaders who have earned their stripes in serving with humility, integrity, respect, honesty and will unreservedly intensify programs to fundamentally change the systems, structures, management, ownership patterns of various economic sectors for the benefit of the majority of the citizens which are African women and youth. The ANC will not afford to have leaders who will be defenders and advocates of white monopoly capital and also not tackle fraud and corruption in public and private sector. 

The current state in our 23yrs of democracy where the majority still remains landless, economically marginalised, higher education is still commodified, there is still health services for the poor and health services for the rich and women and children are at the receiving end of brutal abuses, needs a different calibre of leadership. Failing to agree in electing well rounded leaders who will unapologetically and without fear be the front runners in implementing the ANC resolutions and address all challenges faced by the ANC and South Africans, will assist our class and ideological enemies to justify the irrelevance of the ANC in the society. 

The ANCWL leadership collective, members, supporters and all the ANCWL delegation to the 54th National Conference commits to the utmost discipline before, during and after the Conference for the benefit of the ANC, the people of South Africa and the world at large. The ANCWL will rally behind the leadership to be elected in the 54th National Conference and be in the forefront to champion all the resolutions taken in the conference. High discipline, high morale!!

Emerging from the 54th National conference with resounding policies and leadership who will focus on eradication of the injustices of the past that perpetuates inequality, unemployment and poverty faced by majority of South Africans is nonnegotiable if the ANC want to see South Africans continuing to enjoy the political stability in the country. 

Radical economic transformation now or never!!

Statement issued by Meokgo Matuba, ANCWL Secretary General, 4 December 2017