African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has urged members of the ANC Veterans League to assist the party overcome the challenges it’s facing together with its government.
He was speaking at the opening of the third national conference of party elders in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, on Friday.
The three-day meeting is attended by party veterans, including former Presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, as well as party stalwart, Sophie Williams-De Bruyn.
Mbalula says Veterans League members must call out the leadership when it veers off the course.
ANC party elders from across the country are discussing how to strengthen the organisation and give directions to the young ones.
The veterans members have been in the ANC for at least 40 years and above.
Mbalula says there is a lot of wisdom that the current leadership can gain from them. He urges them to share and to give advice and guidance as the governing party struggles to safeguard its values and instil discipline.
“We see our veterans as the finest product of our movement. We want them to be our place of refugee when things are tough. Comrades, we concluded the National Workshop on Delivery at a local government level. That meeting was a response to call from the convener of the veterans.”
“Comrade Snuki Zikalala has repeatedly called for the ANC to pay attention to the challenges of local government [and] we listened. That is what we want we want, advice and guidance. We want you comrades to help us out of the problems we may stumble on, as we try to offer leadership to this great movement and country. Do not drown [neglect] us when you see that we are in trouble help us,” adds Mbalula.
The national convener of the Veterans League Dr Snuki Zikalala on the other hand, agrees and has committed his peers to help the ANC revitalise some of the country’s ailing municipalities and help with its renewal process.
Zikalala says, “We need to help and guide the movement to renew itself and ensure that all members who join the ANC are not facing criminal cases and ensure that all members undergo lifestyle audits.”
The veterans will also elect their new top five officials later on Saturday with Zikalala set to be re-elected. He says they want the Veterans League members to guide their mother body in its renewal project.
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