UMKHONTO WE SIZWE MILITARY VETERANS ASSOCIATION (MKMVA) WELCOMES THE DEFEAT OF THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION IN PARLIAMENT

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Together with our mother-body, the African National Congress (ANC), Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) congratulate the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa for the robust engagement in the National Assembly yesterday, that resulted in the resounding defeat of the no-confidence vote in President Zuma and our cabinet.

MKMVA believes it is also appropriate to congratulate President specifically with this defeat of an unprecedented 8th no-confidence motion. This no-confidence motion was accompanied by particularly vile attacks on President Zuma, not just on him as the President of the ANC, but also on his person. We commend President Zuma for the disciplined manner in which he dealt with all of this, and for his fortitude in the face of so much provocation.

It is noted that after having been defeated in their objective to remove President Zuma from power, with the particular intent to undemocratically remove the ANC from power (and thus effect regime change), the opposition parties and specifically the mainstream media of White Monopoly Capital (WMC) have gone into propaganda overdrive mode to undermine the significance of the defeat that they have suffered.

We want to repeat that, despite them having spared no effort nor huge amounts of money, they have suffered a resounding defeat. In any democratic parliament throughout the world to defeat a no-confidence motion by a majority of 21 would be considered to be a decisive victory. Despite all the desperate spin of the lackeys of White Monopoly Capital, the people of South Africa will not be hood-winked and convinced otherwise. They should stop insulting our intelligence.

Having re-stated this undeniable fact we will, however, be amiss in our defence of the African National Congress and our National Democratic Revolution (NDR), not to express our deep disappointment in the 26 ANC MP’s who voted in favour of the no-confidence motion, and disregarded the very clear instructions that they had from the National Executive Committee (NEC) as well as the Parliamentary Caucus of the ANC.

With regards to their behaviour MKMVA believes that a spade should be called a spade: They have betrayed the trust that the ANC placed in them by deploying them as our representatives in Parliament in order to carry out the mandate of the ANC. Their behaviour was totally unacceptable. There can be no doubt that they have broken the solemn promise that every member signs when becoming a member of the ANC.

They have violated Rule 25.17.16.4 of the ANC Constitution and committed an act of misconduct by having collaborated with counter revolutionary forces, and acted in a manner contrary to the aims, policies and objectives of the ANC. Such counter-revolutionary defiance cannot be left un-addressed and must have consequences. We believe that the time has arrived for these MP’s to do serious introspection about their conduct, The way forward will have to include them accepting the serious error they have committed, and they will have to place themselves fully back within the discipline of the ANC.

MKMVA is strongly committed to unity, but it is important that discipline within the constitutional organisational structures of the ANC must be accepted by every member of the ANC - not just some. One thing is certain no member of the ANC can be allowed to behave with ill-discipline and defiance of the ANC.

As far as the serial motions of no-confidence by the opposition parties and their inevitable defeats are concerned, this once and for all has come to an end now. These spurious motions of no-confidence expose the political bankruptcy of the opposition parties.

Instead of concerning themselves with the very serious challenges of severe in-equality in our society, and the need for fundamental and Radical Socio-economic Transformation that must improve the lives of the majority of South Africans (especially black and African), the opposition parties in their pursuit of - and service to - White Monopoly Capitalism continue to dish up this stale and vacuous soap opera.

The ANC as the leader of society, who has to take the lead in advancing the hopes and the needs of our people, cannot allow such distractions to continue. There is serious work that needs to be done, it is urgent that we buckle down and do the real work that our people demand from us.

The harsh South African reality is that we have not yet achieved our full liberation.

Important as it was to have achieved our non-racial one-person-one-vote democracy, our struggle was never just about that, ultimately it was about bringing about a future in which every South African – especially black (and specifically African) South Africans - can have a full future with economic justice.

After 23 years of democracy we have not yet seen the economic justice that we have fought for. We are still under the control of White Monopoly Capital, and it is up to the African National Congress together with the people of South Africa to also bring an end to this economic racism. Our people are telling us that they have been patient for long enough. Things have to change, waiting for 23 years into our democracy have been long enough. Radical Socio-economic transformation is not a nice to have it is an absolute necessity.

The urgent issues that have to be addressed through Radical Socio-economic Transformation, as part of bringing about the Second Phase of our National Democratic Revolution, must include land restitution without compensation. Furthermore, the WMC financial institutions have to be transformed. Among other matters the Reserve Bank cannot be allowed to continue to be independent from government. Government must ensure that the mandate of the Reserve Bank is aligned to support government economic transformation policy. Private ownership of shares in the Reserve Bank must cease, and legislation should be introduced to compel the WMC banks, insurers and financial institutions to provide government with advantageous and preferred interest on capital that is required for developmental projects that will create jobs such as the building of schools, healthcare facilities and infra-structural development.

Clear policy proposals will now have to be discussed in the ANC branches with the intention to get the required policy resolutions adopted at the ANC’s National Elective Conference in December in order to achieve these objectives and more. We have our work cut out, and we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by the opposition parties and other agents of WMC, who do not want us to proceed with Radical Socio-economic Transformation.

In the period that follows now, after the ANC has decisively defeated the 8th (and we insist last) no-confidence motion of President Zuma’s administration, it is critical that we work for principled and policy driven unity that will re-confirm the trust our people in the

ANC. We have to pursue the Second Phase of our National Democratic Revolution with

single minded determination. Clearly it is case of Radical Socio-economic

Transformation – Now or Never!

Statement issued by the President of MKMVA, Comrade Kebby Maphatsoe, 9 August 2017