UMKHONTO WE SIZWE MILITARY VETERANS ASSOCIATION (MKMVA) DISTANCES ITSELF FROM DIVISIVE AND UNDEMOCRATIC SLATE POLITICS
Date: Tuesday, 7 November 2017
The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has noted with concern the announcement that Deputy President Ramaphosa made about the slate that he wants to lead the ANC under his leadership.
While we have no intention to campaign negatively against any candidate who is contesting for the Presidency of the ANC, and re-affirm the sentiments of our preferred candidate comrade Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma that this must be a contestation among fellow comrades where the unity and interests of the ANC should always prevail, we are under the circumstances obliged to raise concerns of organisational principle and discipline:
- We affirm the statement by the Secretary General (SG) of the ANC, comrade Gwede Mantashe, to the effect that in 2015 the National General Council (NGC) resolved to outlaw slates and reaffirmed the role of the branch as the basic unit of the ANC. Furthermore, that in implementing the resolution the NEC directed that we ensure branch nominations are not tampered with, and that the will of the branches is reflected and respected.
- This resolution of the National General Council, however, does not state that members of the ANC should not have preferences, nor that ANC members, Leagues and Associations should not have preferred comrades and lobby for those whom they prefer. This would be impossible and illogical, because lobbying is a natural and inevitable part of democracy.