President of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) Kebby Maphatsoe has vowed to fight any attempts by the ANC to disband the organisation.
Maphatsoe says they have done nothing wrong and the ANC has no good reason to dissolve the association.
This comes as ANC sources claim Luthuli House has disbanded the two bodies representing ex-combatants of its armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe.
Party insiders said on Monday the ANC’s national working committee (NWC) decided to disband the Maphatsoe-led Umkhonto weSizwe military veterans (MKMVA) and the MK National Council (MKNC), led by Gregory Nthatisi.
The plan is to collapse the two organisations into one united structure, according to sources. An interim structure that will work towards a unified elective conference will be appointed.
“The fact of the matter is that MKMVA as a structure is not supposed to be there anymore. That’s my understanding out of the meeting, because in the NWC everything is about consensus. If more people say this, that’s how it’s going to be,” said an ANC insider.
The source said the ANC’s national executive committee decided in 2018 that the two organisations should go to a unity conference, and out of that conference the two structures would have dissolved.
“But now there’s antagonism between the parties, and the MK Council felt that comrade Tony [Yengeni] is much more on the side of MKMVA and agrees with everything MKMVA, so they then walked out.
“So now MKMVA itself is not a constitutional structure of the ANC. It became involved in a lot of misdemeanours, and it has become a political party more than a former military wing of the ANC. It has become much more of a political party,” said the source.
“What was supposed to happen is that comrade Jessie [Duarte] was going to convene the two structures and formally tell both of them the outcome of the NWC,” said the source.
Another source who confirmed the disbandment said: “This means there is no more Carl Niehaus.”
This was in reference to the outspoken spokesperson of the MKMVA who has been a thorn on the side of the Cyril Ramaphosa faction, in support of suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, while the MKNC is seen as supportive of Ramaphosa.
We want to understand what are the reasons. When you disband a person, you must tell him that you did wrong here.
— Kebby Maphatsoe
Maphatsoe told Sunday Times Daily on Monday night that to him, the MKMVA was not disbanded and that only the ANC NEC could disband them.
He confirmed receiving communication from acting ANC secretary-general Jessie Duarte informing him of a recommendation by the ANC’s peace and stability subcommittee to disband the association.
Maphatsoe said he asked Duarte for reasons for the proposed disbandment, but they were not forthcoming.
“From where we are seated, we have not been disbanded as the MKMVA. We will wait for the NEC of the ANC.
“We want to understand what are the reasons. When you disband a person, you must tell him that you did wrong here,” he said.
Maphatsoe said instead of dealing with the MK National Council that withdrew from ANC protocols, the ANC was now punishing both structures.
“We were waiting to hear from the ANC what is it going to do with them. That is the decision we thought was going to be taken,” he said.
“We are not going to take this lying down,” vowed Maphatsoe.
He also claimed Yengeni, chairperson of the ANC’s peace and stability subcommittee, which allegedly made the recommendation to disband the structures, pleaded ignorance about this development.
“He doesn’t know about that thing. He learnt about that from me. He was also shocked,” said Maphatsoe.
He said the MKMVA had been making plans for a national conference under the guidance of the peace and stability committee of the ANC chaired by Yengeni.
Why do old people fight among themselves? Why? MKMVA and MKNC, you must go and sort your issues with immediate effect.
— David Mabuza
In an NWC statement published on Tuesday, the structure reiterated a decision that, as mandated by the NEC, efforts were to be stepped up to ensure a unity conference of all Umkhonto weSizwe veterans ahead of the celebration of 60th anniversary of the formation of MK in December 2021.
The NWC also supported the steps taken by Duarte to engage the leadership of both structures “regarding the implementation of the decision that both MKMVA and MKNC should consider dissolving and participating in a preparatory committee for a unity conference led by retired generals and other former senior MK commanders”.
The preparatory committee for a unity conference of MK veterans will consist of Fabian “Zakes” Msimang, Keith Mokoape, Jackie Sedibe, Jenny Schreiner, Ntswaki Sixgashe, Lucy Ramasodi, Zolile Nqose and two representatives each from MKMVA and MKNC.
At the weekend, deputy president David Mabuza ordered the warring Umkhonto weSizwe military veterans to sort out their issues.
“Why do old people fight among themselves? Why? MKMVA and MKNC, you must go and sort your issues with immediate effect. With immediate effect,” demanded Mabuza.
Speaking in his capacity as the chairperson of the presidential task team on military veterans at the Polokwane Rugby Stadium in Limpopo, Mabuza told the veterans factionalism within the association would not be tolerated.
“We don’t want these groupings among yourselves because we don’t know why you are fighting among yourselves. You are a community that is getting smaller and smaller, and a community that is ageing,” he said.
The aim of the meeting with the veterans was for Mabuza to get progress on the work done by the task team’s technical committee workstreams and the provincial government in addressing challenges faced by the veterans.
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