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

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...

(ANC) of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

. Its members are ANC

veterans A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that h ...

, 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 Snuki Zikalala is the president of the African National Congress (ANC) Veterans' League in South Africa, and former Managing Director of news and current affairs of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Early life Before joining the SAB ...

;

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

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 A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

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 Provincial may refer to: Government & Administration * Provincial capitals, an administrative sub-national capital of a country * Provincial city (disambiguation) * Provincial minister (disambiguation) * Provincial Secretary, a position in Can ...

branches, and to vote (through delegates) at the ANC's national conferences. The league defines

– 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 in 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 de ...

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 South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Amongst black South Africans, a substantial number of rural inhabitants lead largely impoverished lives. Almost all South Africans speak English to some degree of proficiency, in a ...

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 Thandi Memela (8 January 1939 – 7 January 2021) was a South African politician from KwaZulu-Natal. A member of South Africa's African National Congress (ANC), she served as a Member of the National Assembly of South Africa The National Ass ...

Secretary General Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derive ...

: Natso Khumalo * Deputy Secretary General: Mochubela "Wesi" Seeko * Treasurer: Fanele Mbali Herbert Its second national conference, held in October 2017 in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, elected the following leaders: * President:

* Deputy President: Bonsile Phillemon Norushe * Secretary General: Natso Khumalo * Deputy Secretary General: Evelyn Lubidla * Treasurer: Gabriel Moosa Former ANC president

was the honorary life president of the league, in line with a special resolution taken by the inaugural conference.

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 name Msholozi, and was a former anti-apart ...

, 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 who is currently serving as the fifth democratically elected president of South Africa. Formerly an anti-apartheid activist, trade union leader, and ...

's candidacy for the ANC presidency, against Zuma's preferred successor,

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini-Zuma (née Dlamini; born 27 January 1949), sometimes referred to by her initials NDZ, is a South African politician, medical doctor and former anti-apartheid activist. A longstanding member of the African National Cong ...

. 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 The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Organs of State, better known as the Zondo Commission or State Capture Commission, is a public inquiry established in Janua ...

, to answer allegations of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

, 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 link

ANC website
{{African National Congress African National Congress 2009 establishments in South Africa Organisations based in Johannesburg

History and structure

Leadership

Relationship to ANC leadership

See also

References

External link