Shameless: Jacob Zuma doesn’t have sleepless nights about being judged harshly
President Jacob Zuma has accused ANC members who have joined civil-society groupings with “hostile opinions” of the ANC of being counter-revolutionary and attempting to be viewed as morally an intellectually sound.
Zuma was speaking at the 5th elective conference of the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) in Boksburg, where a new leadership will be elected.
“Some have fallen for the trap and have joined these groupings in order to appear as intellectually and morally sound,” Zuma said.
“Comrades, at what point do we call counter-revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries? Let us unite, close ranks and refuse to join sporadic movements whose origins and ultimate objectives we do not know”.
The president also called for an end to public spats among ANC members and leaders, which he said eroded the party’s ability to lead society.
The MKMVA has been involved in a series of public spats with the MK Veterans National Council Steering Committee accusing it of being led by a group of disgruntled, childish MK members. The two organisations are known to hold opposing views on the state of the ANC and its leadership.
On Tuesday MK Council leaders called on MK members to distance themselves from the MKMVA’s divisive decision to renege on an earlier agreement to have a joint conference between the two bodies.
Yesterday a group of national MKMVA office-bearers and senior members added fuel to criticism of the organisation when they announced their boycott of the gathering citing concerns over divisiveness and factionalism.
Zuma expressed disappointment that infighting within the MK could not be overcome even for the sake of electing new leadership and adopting organisational resolutions.
“Its unfortunate that some comrades have lost this opportunity to be here to engage, so that we come together on the matters that are raised. But I’m hopeful that after all of this one of the resolutions you will take will be to engage these comrades,” he said.
Those who are boycotting the conference are questioning its legitimacy amid claims that approximately 60% of the 700 delegates do no have legitimate MK credentials.
Despite this the conference would still forge ahead with adopting resolutions on issues including land reform, radical economic transformation and the fight against white monopoly capital before electing new leaders.