Mantashe knows the truth, say veterans

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has been criticised by the Umkhonto weSizwe National Council (MKNC) for failing to show good leadership.

The MKNC steering committee convener, Thabang Makwetla, said Mantashe did not show commitment to the convening of a separate national consultative conference (NCC) to discuss ways to end factionalism and infighting in the party, as requested by a significant number of ANC stalwarts and veterans.

Makwetla said that although Mantashe had an opportunity to, he had failed to canvass the convening of such a conference among those in the party’s national executive committee.

“Secondly, there is an abundance of evidence that the office of the secretary-general of the ANC never supported the idea of a consultative conference because he did not in his report to the last NEC cause the matter to be discussed at the meeting,” Makwetla said.

He said the secretary-general did not canvass the relevant preparatory issues such as who was going to be invited to the NCC over and above the elected leadership, the agenda, the format of the dialogue, discussion papers to be prepared, structures to give inputs and the status of resolutions of the gathering.

“The SG never canvassed these matters with the NEC. Thirdly, the leadership, in particular the SG’s office, did not expedite preparations of ANC provinces for what the SG now calls ‘a meeting for a special dialogue’.

“Of all nine provinces, only the Eastern Cape convened a provincial consultative conference to canvass views for its own inputs.”

According to Makwetla, the ANC leadership had let itself down. It had deviated from its undertaking in the wake of the 2016 local government elections that it would not act hastily but seek to listen to the broad membership of the ANC first.

“There can be no better exercise of listening to the broad membership of the ANC than by convening a special conference to consult the broad membership.”

He said the ANC had continued to philosophise for far too long about the malady afflicting the organisation.

“What we need is unanimity on a set of measures to be implemented immediately, and the protocols which must be in place to expedite the smooth implementation of these measures; time frames and monitoring and evaluation procedures.

“Whatever happens this weekend, even after all the time lost, we still believe that the leadership of the ANC will come to a realisation that the national consultative conference is indeed a prerequisite for  a successful national conference in December,” Makwetla said.

The MK Council believes there is a need for a gathering that can sound a new clarion call for a fresh definition of discipline for cadres and members; and a scientific cadre policy.

He said there was evidence that special conferences such as the consultative conferences the ANC had organised over its years of struggle, had assisted to regain the unity of purpose within its leadership, and rank and file.

Makwetla described as “libellous allegations” that former MK members under the National Council had declined to take part in the aborted consultative conference. The MKNC steering committee convener said this was “deeply hurting and regrettable”.

He said the MK Council and 101 veterans and stalwarts had never been clarity on whether the ANC leadership had agreed or would agree to convening the NCC.

This despite the fact that all along they were told the only snag was the disagreement on whether it should be linked or delinked from the policy conference.

“This effectively scuppered preparations for the NCC. It is disingenuous for the secretary-general to give an impression, particularly within the ANC community, that the MK Steering Committee members childishly walked away from what he himself said does not exist,” Makwetla said.

– ericn@citizen.co.za