STATEMENT OF THE ANC VETERANS LEAGUE INAUGURAL NATIONAL CONFERENCE

For the past three days, the veterans and stalwarts of our glorious movement - some in wheelchairs and walking sticks, others still able to stride - converged here at Esselen Park during the historic inaugural national conference of the African National Congress Veterans League (ANCVL).

Not only did this mark a memorable and momentous time for old comrades to meet, but we were able to grapple and reflect on challenges facing our movement and chat a new course by discussing and adopting the ANCVL Constitution; examine social transformation and come up with a programme for the organisational renewal of the ANC.

We were also able to successfully nominate and elect a national leadership that will take the mandate and programme of the ANCVL forward. The national leadership is led by Sandi Sijake as President, Thandi Cecilia Memela as Deputy President, Natso Khumalo as Secretary General,  Wesi Mochubela Seeko as Deputy Secretary General and Fanele Mbali Herbert as Treasurer.  Conference took a special resolution to confer former President, Isithwalandwe  Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the Honorary Life President position of the ANCVL.

We are indeed, humbled by the confidence delegates to the national conference have on us and undertake not to fail them in carrying out their mandate.

As veterans and stalwarts, we are happy to be fully integrated within the movement to play a key role as the reservoir of knowledge, institutional memory, providing counsel and wisdom to ensure that the organisational renewal programme of the organisation reaches the lowest of our structures.

Blessed by the presence of the ANC President, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, we discussed and agreed with his concerns over the dangers of the two evils, those being power and greed, leading to the corruption of society at large as indicated by crass materialism, which in turn seriously undermines our transformation agenda in particular.

Accordingly, we have resolved to commit ourselves towards building a caring society, where the interests of our people come first, in line with our government "Batho Pele" principles, as well as the principles that informed selfless sacrifices by many veterans throughout their struggle against apartheid.

Believing that the elderly must play their role in society in guiding the younger generation on various matters, through their wisdom earned over many years, likewise believing that we the veterans of the ANC must and will play an increasingly greater role through a platform and organisation of our own. Further believing that the initiative to launch the ANC Veterans League, will inspire elderly people in society in general, to play such crucial role, to ensure the continued social, economic and political hegemony of timeless values in our communities and our country as a whole, as embraced by past generations.

Meeting here in this inaugural National Conference, we were inspired by our memory of the disciplined cadreship of veterans, both those alive and those departed, such as Nelson Rolihlahla  Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada, Andrew Mlangeni, Elias Motsoaledi, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Helen Joseph, Lilian Ngoyi, , Charlotte Maxeke and many other unsung heroes and heroines, whose legacy the ANC Veterans League shall seek to restore and capture into our history, so that all future generations may know the sacrifices made over many years to ensure we attained our freedom, equality, democracy and prosperity.

As Veterans of the ANC in this inaugural National Conference, we observed, discussed and resolved on various matters and challenges facing the ANC and our country, against the backdrop of both the national and international environment. We further discussed and resolved on issues that we anticipate will become key challenges of the newly launched ANC Veterans League.

This was with a view to utilise the newly formed ANC Veterans League as springboard to respond to these challenges. This being our inaugural National Conference, we made placed emphasis on issues pertaining firstly to our constitution as the ANC Veterans League, secondly, building the organisation and thirdly on social transformation, as key issues to be dealt with by the ANC Veterans League.

We further broadly defined our mission and purpose, and how in broad terms, we would go about ensuring that ANC Veterans are at the centre and forefront of our national transformation agenda.

In this inaugural National Conference, we therefore took note of, and appreciated the role of various generations of cadres who contributed to our struggle for a non racial, non sexist, democratic and prosperous society, since the formation of the ANC in 1912.

Having observed that noble causes such as ours can be lost through the loss of institutional memory, the ANC Veterans League seeks to position itself as the repository of the history, culture and tradition of our struggle, to help infuse continuity and a sense of purpose with regards to our broader vision as a movement, particularly amongst the younger generations, without pretending to replace the democratic or organisational platforms or the constitutional structures, of the ANC.

We hereby declare our deep appreciation, to the vision espoused by the ANC Leadership, to constitute a platform specifically geared to serve as a voice of ANC veterans, as resolved in the 52nd National Conference of the ANC convened in Polokwane, 2009.

This resolution was premised on the knowledge that many veterans have served the ANC and the struggle of our people's movement in different capacities over various epochs, and for this reason have an important of contribution that they can make with regards to the institutional memory of our organisation, vis-à-vis its past decisions, culture, tradition and purposes of the organisation in successive epochs that constitute the golden thread of our organisation.

As the ANC Veterans League, we have passed special resolution, expressing our deep appreciation of the role played by former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, as a living example of uninterrupted service to the work of the ANC, our struggle and to our nation as a whole, succinctly defining what is meant by a veteran of the ANC. Therefore, National Conference took the view that former President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela does not only represent our past iconic heroes and heroines, but also serves as a living example to all veterans with regards to commitment and conduct, on what must be a typical continued member of the ANC. National Conference resolved that Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela would be appointed honorary life president of the ANC Veterans League.

Accordingly, we resolved that the leadership as elected in this inaugural National Conference must as a matter of priority convey both this message as well as our heartfelt gratitude as the ANC Veterans League to u Tata Mandela, on behalf of all the veterans of the ANC for his life long struggle for a better life for all.

National Conference further affirmed our commitment to championing the welfare of all our people, by supporting the work of the ANC, ANCWL, ANCYL, the Alliance partners, and the latter which are COSATU, the SACP and SANCO, as well as the broader Mass Democratic Movement. In this regard, the unity of the ANC and our movement as a whole was considered to be of paramount importance.

This inaugural National Conference also resolved that integral to championing the cause of our country, the role of the ANC Veterans League shall be to specifically look into the welfare of all ANC Veterans as a matter of urgency, through systematic institutional mechanisms, attending to the peculiar needs of all veterans. This is against the backdrop that we have noted that the welfare of ANC Veterans have not been adequately catered for in the past, this resulting in various hardships faced by the ANC Veterans.

We further re-affirmed the organisational leadership of the ANC as exceedingly credible, inspiring and correctly leading our country on the path of national transformation, informed by our vision succinctly captured through our concept of national democratic revolution. We further took note of the strides made by our democratic government since 1994 up to the present, to reverse the inequalities brought about by the system of apartheid.

However, we also took note of the fact that a lot still has to be done to completely eradicate poverty from amongst our people, and our view on this is that this by and large shows the extent to which apartheid entrenched itself in South African society.

We therefore resolved to continuously avail ourselves at the service of our movement to contribute towards sharpening our mechanisms for accelerated quality change amongst all our people.

Having noted that the international community played a very important role in our struggle for a free and democratic society, we further affirmed our role towards reviving bilateral and multilateral relations with progressive organisations throughout the world in general, and in Africa in particular, with a view of furthering the aims and objectives of a progressive agenda through continued solidarity.

Having also noted the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Draw, we commit ourselves to supporting every effort towards a successful World Cup, and likewise call on all our people to ensure that this becomes the greatest World Cup ever.

Finally, we mandated to the newly elected National Executive Committee, to engage all ANC structures with regards to our resolutions and programme, especially the ANC Officials. While appreciative of the sterling work done by the ANC leadership over such a short space of time to reverse centuries of colonial oppression and decades of apartheid misrule, we took a dim view of the intransigency by some in our country against ensuring speedy transformation. We therefore re-assure our full support to the ANC programme for change, despite such intransigencies.

We dip our revolutionary banners in honour of the following recently departed veterans:

Bafana Mathews Ngcobo of the Luthuli Detachment, and a retired Colonel of SANDF, who retired in 2004.

General Andrew Masondo, a veteran Commissar of our people's army Umkhonto WeSizwe, and a retired General of the SANDF Curtis Nkondo, former NEC of the ANC, an educationist and a trade unionist.

In conclusion, we declare our undying commitment to the cause of our struggle under the banner and able leadership of the African National Congress, believing that this would remain an indelible example to the current younger generation and to all posterity of what is meant by being a disciplined cadre.

Very importantly, the ANC Veterans League shall serve as an axis for unity, reminding those of younger generation, that despite the necessary vigour of democratic engagement, the unity of our organisation remains the backbone of our struggle going into the future.

BRIEF FACTS ABOUT THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE ANC VETERANS LEAGUE

Name: Sandi Sijake

Born in: 5 October 1945

Born at: ‘Cape Province'

Resides in: Cape Town

Current Occupation: Retired

Joined ANC: 1959 in Umtata as a learner.

ANC: Served the ANC an all-round cadre with an impeccable record of selfless service.

MK: Trained as an MK Cadre in Egypt, Soviet Union and traveled the world extensively

SANDF: After integration, joined SANDF and went on to serve as Major- General in the Defence Intelligence till retirement in 2005.

Family: Husband to Nobonke Sijake & father of two sons.

Statement issued by the African National Congress Veterans League, November 6 2009

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