By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@MYANC.
ANC Veterans League (ANCVL) deputy president Mavuso Msimang has cut ties with the African National Congress (ANC) after decades as a member, painted a grim picture of the state of affairs in South Africa.
Msimang said in his three-page resignation letter, “for several years now, the ANC has been wracked by endemic corruption, with devastating consequences on the governance of the country and the lives of poor people, of whom there continue to be so many.”
He questions incidents of children drowning in pit latrines, raw sewage flowing into rivers, over a hundred people dying in the Life Esidimeni tragedy, people dying waiting for ambulances and businesses failing while “ANC leaders publicly proclaim ownership of obscenely wealthy homesteads and other possessions, and send their children to the best schools in the land”.
Msimang goes on to say that the “dramatic decline in the organisation’s popularity is attributable to widely held perceptions that its members and ‘deployees’ are corrupt, that the organisation has a high tolerance threshold for venality, and that the deployment of unsuitable people accounts for the government’s deplorable levels of service to the public.”
He ends his letter: “Consequently, I have come to the realisation that my time and energies would be better spent elsewhere. Even as I painfully sever ties with my once glorious organisation, I shall continue to keep a vigil over any and all matters pertaining to governance in the country. It is not easy to leave an organisation that continues to be home to some of the most dedicated individuals I have had the good fortune, honour and privilege to call comrades. But it is time to go.”
ANC Veterans’ League President Snuki Zikalala released a statement shortly after midnight that Msimang had resigned.
“Regrettably, Cde Mavuso Msimang, the Deputy President of the ANCVL, has decided to resign from the ANC. His resignation is acknowledged,” said Zikalala.
We continue to believe that the ANC is the only organisation that can best take forward the interests of the poor, and is committed to our constitutional democracy, including the Bill of Rights and the rule of law.
“As the ANCVL, we will remain committed to bringing back the integrity and dignity of the organisation, and win the coming elections with a resounding victory.”
Msimang’s resignation letter to secretary-general Fikile Mbalula comes after Mbalula lambasted the veterans for de-campaigning the party.
A visibly annoyed Mbalula called on the veterans to stop attacking the party and its leaders.
“We call on them to work with the structures of the organisation. All of us availed ourselves to the veterans’ counsel and direction, everyone including the president.”
Former president Thabo Mbeki has also distanced himself from his party, telling a UNISA audience in August that he won’t be campaigning.
Mavuso was elected deputy president of the ANC Veterans League at its conference in July.
The 82-year-old stalwart is also a former member of the ANC’s armed wing, uMkhonto We Sizwe (MK).