Des van Rooyen must stop turning MK into Guptas’ private army‚ says COPE

The Congress of the People (COPE) has accused UMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) treasurer general Des Van Rooyen of trying to turn Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) into the Guptas’ private army.

The party was commenting on reports that Van Rooyen‚ who is also the country’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs‚ wants to force MK veterans to read the Guptas’ newspaper and watch their TV channel.

Van Rooyen reportedly told guests at the commemoration gala dinner that at the next MKMVA meeting he would push for a resolution that all members of Umkhonto we Sizwe read New Age newspaper and watch news channel ANN7‚ which are both owned by the Gupta family.

“Van Rooyen’s comments over Umkhonto we Sizwe were so reckless and irresponsible. What message is he trying to send to the country? That together with his faction want to capture Umkhonto we Sizwe and turn it into the Guptas’ army?

“It is clear that Van Rooyen has been captured‚ and now‚ together with his faction are working on capturing the Umkhonto we Sizwe to privatise it‚” COPE spokesman Dennis Bloem asserted.

He said Van Rooyen must stop linking Umkhonto we Sizwe to the Guptas‚ adding that it was an insult to the late leaders that formed the liberation army.

Meanwhile‚ Umkhonto we Sizwe veterans were reported to have gathered at a national council in Nasrec on Saturday to discuss the unity within the ANC movement.