ANC veterans and stalwarts approach NEC directly for consultative conference

23 May 2017 - 19:10 By Roxanne Henderson
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ANC veterans and stalwarts have written to the party's top six directly‚ pleading for a national consultative conference to tackle the crisis in the party and government.

Veterans and stalwarts called for the conference about six months ago but after engagements with the ANC structures‚ the group is concerned the conference will not take place as it envisioned.

"One of the reasons we're following this route is because so far our various interactions have led us to a point where we've begun to suspect whether the (national executive committee) NEC has been getting a comprehensive report of the various engagements we've been having with the national working committee.

"We have not been getting any significant response coming from the NEC on any of these discussions‚" stalwart Murphy Morobe told journalists on Tuesday in Johannesburg.

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Stalwarts said that the letter to the NEC would detail their campaign for the conference‚ which is becoming more pressing in light of more voices being raised to question the legitimacy of President Jacob Zuma's continued presidency.

The group also said that it was critical to act soon in light of escalating incidents of threats and violence against party members.

"It is important for leaders to understand we cannot delay the occasioning of this important intervention. The longer we don't do it we set up a situation for opportunism that might end up undermining the sense of security that everyone deserves under our Constitution.

"We have a letter going to the ANC NEC today‚ expressing the journey we've travelled and why we feel the NEC has to step up and play its role as required by the ANC constitution."

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The NEC are expected to meet this coming weekend.

Veterans and stalwarts do not want the consultative conference to be held together with the ANC's policy conference‚ for fear that it will be ineffective in achieving its purpose if conducted in this way.

Morobe said the letter also calls on the top organ of the party to take seriously a report released by the South African Council of Churches recently‚ which highlights the calculated and strategic nature of a drive to capture the state.

Reverend Frank Chikane and Sheila Sisulu weighed in on this‚ warning that the report is not to be ignored.

"We said we would seize power for the people‚ not for individual interests. If you have a government that does that then its legitimacy comes into question‚" Chikane said.

Morobe also called on MPs to put the Constitution and the country first when voting in the upcoming motion of no confidence in Zuma.

The veterans and stalwarts have asked the NEC for a speedy response to their concerns.

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