AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

VETERAN’S LEAGUE NATIONAL TASK TEAM

Chief Albert Luthuli House
54 Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street, Johannesburg, 2001 RSA
P.O. Box 61884, Marshalltown, 2107
Telephone: +27 11 376 1000. Website: www.anc.org.za

DECLARATION OF ANC VETERAN’S LEAGUE LEKGOTLA

HELD ON 15 AND 16 APRIL 2023 IN JOHANNESBURG

Introduction

In November 2022, the ANC NEC established a National Task Team of the Veteran’s League to lead the
Veteran’s League to a National Conference by July 2023.

Since then, the National Task Team (NTT) has made significant strides in putting in place the building
blocks towards the revival of the Veteran’s League. Seven Provincial Task Teams (PTTs ) have been
set up bringing veterans across race, gender, geography and generations together.

The NTT together with office bearers of the PTTS came together at the Lekgotla to consider issues
facing the country and the ANC, as well as to develop a roadmap to a properly constituted National
Conference.

A summary of the key deliberations and decisions is reflected below.

Challenges facing South Africa and the ANC

The Lekgotla acknowledged that while strides have been made in achieving the National Democratic
Revolution, our problems are deep seated and formidable and our task is incomplete.

It also acknowledged that the ANC, as the key instrument to achieve transformation, is seized with
addressing internal problems and strife which have hampered progress and slowed down the pace of
achieving a better life for all South Africans. Concern was expressed that many in the ANC no longer
see themselves as servants of the people.

Veterans who contributed to the liberation of our country recognised their ongoing responsibility to
address the challenges in the ANC and the country with urgency and determination. With this in mind,
the Lekgotla deliberated on the role of veterans and the Veteran’s League.

Convenor: Dr Snuki Zikalala, Deputy Convenor: Mavuso Msimang, Co-ordinator: Natso Kumalo, Deputy Co-ordinator:
Susan Shabangu, Fundraiser: Ismail Moosa
Role of the Veteran’s League

The Lekgotla committed veterans across the country to carry out three urgent and related tasks.

Firstly, to rebuild the veteran’s league branches and other structures so that veterans can play a role
in leading and guiding both the movement and society.

Secondly, to contribute to the renewal of the ANC, in the battle of ideas, in developing and modelling
what kind of ANC cadre we want to see and in proposing concrete steps that the mother body should
take and be held accountable for. The Lekgotla participants recommitted that veterans fulfil the role
envisaged by the VL constitution to advise and guide the movement, particularly on issues relating to
integrity, ethics and values.

Thirdly, to participate actively in resolving local issues facing our communities including through
participation in ANC branches, and community structures and guiding ANC cadres and councillors. This
is in line with the imperative of the ANC to reconnect with the masses of our people to win back their
trust and respect as proposed by the VL NTT at the 55th National Conference of the ANC.

Rebuilding the Veteran’s League

Lekgotla participants from the NTT and PTTs committed to build a credible, disciplined, non-factional,
legitimate and united organisation from branch level up. The Lekgotla confirmed a road map to the
National Conference which sets out the process of membership recruitment and verification, branch
establishment and the holding of provincial conferences.

All veterans who are over 60 and have been involved for more than 40 years in the ANC, including the
underground and mass democratic movement, trade union movement and faith based organisations
associated with the Congress Movement are eligible to become members of the Veteran’s League.
The Lekgotla agreed that our initial target should be to establish one branch per ANC region or sub-
region, depending on the circumstances in each Province.

Renewal of the ANC

The previous Veteran’s League NEC, whose term ended in October 2022, as well as the current NTT
have been seized with guiding the renewal of the ANC as agreed at the 54th National Conference.

It was acknowledged that the most significant role that veterans can play in the renewal of the ANC is
to support and enable the reconnection of the ANC with the masses of our people through concrete
programmes of action focusing on local service delivery issues.

The Lekgotla further considered concrete proposals to be presented to the ANC to renew the ANC
including in respect of elections, consequence management, constitutional amendments and
modernisation.

There is also a process underway to consider constitutional amendments to our constitution which
can be adopted at the National Conference and enable the renewal of the Veteran’s League itself.
Key policy issues

The NTT has an active policy committee considering both issues facing the country and issues facing
veterans. These include the energy crisis, service delivery issues and internally the welfare of veterans.

The Lekgotla considered the challenges of dysfunctional municipalities as well as the current political
instability facing some municipalities, especially in metros. It was concerned about coalitions being
formed without adherence to principles or the imperative to deliver services to our people. It was
further concerned that reliance on coalitions will signal that we are not confident in winning future
elections as the ANC.

Instead, the Veterans League believes that a renewed and strengthened ANC must be capable of
outrightly winning elections and if we do not succeed, any political arrangement must be guided by a
principled commitment to deliver to the people.

Call to veterans across the country

All veterans are called upon to join the Veterans League and participate in branches that are being set
up.

It is the veterans that liberated South Africa through organisation, mass mobilisation, armed struggle
as well as the mobilisation of international allies. Veterans embody the best traditions of the
movement including seeing themselves as servants of the people, valuing non-racialism and non-
sexism and understanding the imperatives of appropriate strategy and tactics for any given situation.

The call of the current structures of the VL is: “You served without fear, putting your lives and
livelihoods at stake. You are now needed to take forward the struggle for the socio-economic
transformation of our country. You are required to set the tone of the movement to ensure that the
ANC rebuilds the trust and regains the respect of the people so that it can continue to be the ruling
and serving party in our country. Join the Veteran’s League and its branches so that you can play an
active role in fulfilling the historical mission of the movement – the ANC lives, the ANC leads!”

Ends

Issued on behalf of the National Task Team of the ANC Veterans’ League by:

Dr Snuki Zikalala
Convenor
Mobile number: 0825619300