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As these statements from MK veterans and three major foundations attest, the ANC’s veteran leaders are calling for renewal and realignment of the party’s politics with the vision of liberation.
Former commanders and commissars of Umkhonto weSizwe
We, the undersigned, are all committed cadres of the ANC, having served our glorious movement for decades.
Recent events in our beloved country have both saddened and outraged us. The removal of Comrade Nhlanhla Nene from the post of minister of finance and his proposed redeployment to a junior post at the New Development Bank leaves much to be desired and communicates the singular message that all is not well with our movement and the state.
We welcomed the intervention that led to the appointment of Comrade Pravin Gordhan, a critical and necessary corrective step to prevent massive damage to the economy.
We are concerned by the manner in which the Hawks is conducting its investigation into the so-called SA Revenue Service rogue unit. This investigation is being conducted in a far too public and antagonistic manner, which would suggest the abuse of state institutions for ulterior motives. A more responsible approach is needed.
The revelation by Comrade Mcebisi Jonas that he was offered the post of minister of finance by the Gupta family is shocking and embarrassing to the integrity of the ANC and the state. We salute this courageous act and reject with contempt efforts to malign his integrity and good standing and call on Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Comrade Kebby Maphatsoe to desist from further maligning the good name of Comrade Mcebisi.
We demand to know what role, if any, the Gupta family plays in influencing the appointments of ministers, and to what end? Which other ministers have been approached by them in this manner? What private arrangements, if any, have been made with the Gupta family? What is their role in the appointment of board members of state-owned enterprises? Is the leadership of the ANC aware of these arrangements? On whose authority does the Gupta family act?
As a direct consequence of these actions, our country has been plunged into an uncertain and perilous future. Furthermore, over the years we have witnessed, among other things, the rise of factions and slates, the diminishing quality of ANC cadreship, antagonisms within the alliance, the breakaway of unions from labour federation Cosatu, the break-up of the ANC Youth League, the marginalisation of committed ANC comrades, the rise of vulgar and unsophisticated politics and the silencing of critical but necessary voices within the ANC, the wanton destabilisation of critical state institutions, the wasteful expenditure of state resources, the devaluing of Parliament, the erosion of trust within the arms of the state, the unprecedented rise of patronage and cronyism, the juniorisation of the state and the ANC and, most alarming of all, the use of the state machinery for the private interests of the few.
We are most concerned about the increasing tendency of state capture. If these claims are true, we call on the leadership of the ANC to act and reclaim its integrity. We must free the ANC and the state from such influence and expose those in cahoots with this tendency.
We call on the leadership of the ANC to establish an independent commission of inquiry composed of eminent persons within the ANC and civil society to investigate claims of undue influence, especially by the Gupta family on the ANC and the state.
We further call on the leadership of the ANC to convene a special national conference to assess these challenges and chart a way forward to restore the prestige of our glorious movement and state. The undersigned were all senior commanders and commissars of Umkhonto weSizwe (MK). We are satisfied that we speak for the majority of former MK cadres.
Signed by General Siphiwe Nyanda on behalf of 25 former MK senior commanders and commissars
The Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
The ANC has been through challenging times before, and with the resourceful and courageous leadership the organisation has been blessed with in its long history, it can yet again provide an invigorated, visionary course into the future.
We are deeply concerned about the current course on which our country is headed. We believe it is contrary to the individual and collective legacy of our founders.
We read disturbing stories in newspapers and other media about “state capture”; we see important institutions of democracy such as Parliament under great strain; we hear what ordinary South Africans tell us through our work; and we are challenged by friends and comrades who witness the cumulative fragmentation of the ANC, a great organisation our founders helped build and sustain over generations. In the spirit of our founders, we cannot passively watch these deeply concerning developments unfold and get worse by the day.
Leaders such as Tambo, Mandela and Kathrada helped shape the ANC by providing a vision of a better future for all our people. Their vision of freedom, social justice, and democracy was embraced by millions of South Africans. It was based on and driven by strong moral authority and principled engagement.
Their leadership and that of the ANC were admired the world over. It inspired other people in their own struggles.
In 1994, the humanity and dignity of our people were restored, and the new state, a constitutional democracy, began to support that with varied institutions it created, which were dedicated to achieving a better quality of life for all citizens. In its leadership of this new democracy, the government of the ANC enjoyed overwhelming support across the nation: the youth, religious communities, civil society and South Africans of all persuasions.
The worldwide solidarity in support of a cause that was as universal as it was humanistic showed the extent to which South Africa had inspired the world. Sadly, by the day, we witness the steady erosion of something rare in human history: a near universal admiration of a country and what it pledged itself to achieve.
All South Africans have a living memory of the freedoms we have won and experienced. We cannot sit back and watch that being taken away.
It is in this respect that it seems to us that the ANC has significantly drifted away from the ideals to which our founders and many others dedicated their lives. We are disturbed by accounts we receive from students, religious leaders, members of our community, the media and civil society organisations about the disillusionment of our people and their waning trust in the ANC as a result of the unfolding events.
We have reached a watershed. We appeal to the national executive committee of the ANC to take note of the mood of the people, to reflect deeply on their solemn responsibilities, to make urgent choices, and to take urgent corrective actions in the best interest of South Africa and its people.
We make this call to remain true to our founders and continue their life’s work to champion the cause of freedom and democracy for our people. It is for these that they were “prepared to die”.
History will judge the ANC leadership harshly if it fails to take the decisions that will restore the trust and confidence of the people of South Africa. In the true spirit of our founders, we offer our experience and expertise in any manner that might assist in facilitating a critical process of dialogue in which South Africans can find one another in the restoration of visionary cohesion and nation-building at this hour of need. Our doors are open!
Signed by the three foundations
Should the ANC turn to its veterans and elders for guidance?
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