The African National Congress Veterans' League (ANCVL) is an auxiliary political organisation of the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

(ANC) of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Its members are ANC

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

s, defined as people aged 60 or older who have belonged to the ANC for at least 40 years. The league was founded in December 2009 to represent veterans in the decision-making of the mainstream ANC. Since October 2017, its president has been Snuki Zikalala;

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

was its honorary life president.

History and structure

The Veterans' League was founded in 2009 and held its inaugural national conference in early December 2009 in Esselen Park, Western Cape. It is one of three leagues recognised in the ANC constitution, the others being the Women's League and the Youth League. Like the other leagues, it functions as an "autonomous body" within, and "integral part" of, the overall ANC; it is permitted to formulate its own rules and constitution (adopted in December 2009), to establish local and provincial branches, and to vote (through delegates) at the ANC's national conferences. The league defines

s – those eligible to apply for membership to the body – as ANC members aged 60 or older, who have "served the ANC and the movement over an unbroken period of

t least T, or t, is the twentieth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is d ...

40 years". Its formal objective is to ensure that these veterans "make a full and rich contribution to the work of the ANC, to the movement and to the life of the nation". Its foundation was viewed as continuous with a tradition, both within the ANC and within South African culture generally, of granting a special status and authority to elders.

Leadership

The league's first national elective conference, held in December 2009, elected the following veterans to top positions in the national leadership: * President: Sandi Sijake * Deputy President: Thandi Memela *

Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

: Natso Khumalo * Deputy Secretary General: Mochubela "Wesi" Seeko * Treasurer: Fanele Mbali Herbert Former ANC president

was the honorary life president of the league, in line with a special resolution taken by the inaugural conference. Its second national conference, held in October 2017 in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, elected the following leaders: * President: Snuki Zikalala * Deputy President: Bonisile Philemon Norushe * Secretary General: Natso Khumalo * Deputy Secretary General: Evelyn Lubidla * Treasurer: Gabriel Moosa The league held its third national conference, from 28 to 30 July 2023 in

Boksburg Boksburg is a city on the East Rand of Gauteng province of South Africa. Gold was discovered in Boksburg in 1887. Boksburg was named after the State Secretary of the South African Republic, Willem Eduard Bok, W. Eduard Bok. The R29 (South A ...

, Gauteng, and the following veterans were elected to top positions in the national leadership: *President: Snuki Zikalala *Deputy President: Mavuso Msimang *Secretary-General: Ilva Mackay-Langa *Deputy Secretary-General: Connie September *Treasurer-General: Fazel Randera

Relationship to ANC leadership

During the presidency of

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan names Nxamalala and Msholozi. Zuma was a for ...

, the Veterans' League had an acrimonious relationship with the national leadership of the mainstream ANC, which was also headed by Zuma. Many of the veterans, including league president Sijake, were among those who criticised Zuma during the Nkandlagate scandal and thereafter. This critical posture was maintained under Sijake's successor, Zikalala, and contrasted notedly with the posture of the pro-Zuma Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans' Association (MKMVA), a competing veterans' organisation affiliated with the ANC. Ahead of the 54th National Conference of the ANC, the Veterans' League backed

Cyril Ramaphosa Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa (born 17 November 1952) is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former Anti-Apartheid Movement, anti-apartheid activist and trade union leade ...

's candidacy for the ANC presidency, against Zuma's preferred successor, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. In December 2017, Zuma opened the 54th Conference with a political report that was highly critical of the league, calling the veterans "so-called leaders" and saying that he looked forward to joining the league himself and encouraging it to play a more constructive role. Zikalala said that Zuma would have to apply to join the league, but that the league would welcome his membership, his comments notwithstanding. The 54th Conference elected Ramaphosa as ANC president, and, in March 2018, Ramaphosa met with representatives of the Veterans' League and other ANC stalwarts. According to Zikalala, during the meeting, Ramaphosa expressed regret over the veterans' mistreatment by Zuma and began to establish a warmer relationship between the ANC leadership and the veterans. In later years (and in contrast to MKMVA), the league under Zikalala continued to defend Ramaphosa against Zuma. It also argued publicly that Zuma should appear before the Zondo Commission, to answer allegations of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

, and then that Zuma should face criminal liability for his refusal to appear. In November 2022, ahead of the ANC's 55th National Conference, the league endorsed Ramaphosa for a second term as ANC president.

References

External links

ANC website
{{African National Congress African National Congress 2009 establishments in South Africa Civic and political organisations based in Johannesburg

History and structure

Leadership

Relationship to ANC leadership

See also

References

External links