The uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has taken aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for him to deal “decisively” with corruption.
MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe said rampant looting during the Covid-19 pandemic was a “litmus test” for Ramaphosa. He said this was a particularly right time for Ramaphosa to rise to the occasion, especially after campaigning on an anti-corruption card that led to his election as ANC president in December 2019.
The MKMVA said it was also concerned by divisions within the ANC national executive committee (NEC) led by Ramaphosa.
This disunity, said Maphatsoe, had led to an anti-corruption attitude that is targeting only a certain faction while turning a blind eye to the other. He said only a united NEC could deal with corruption without fear or favour and restore the credibility of the organisation.
Concerns and demands
Maphatsoe said the MKMVA, after a meeting of its NEC, will request an urgent meeting with the ANC top six to raise its concerns and demands.
“The MKMVA demands that all corruption be cleaned out without fear or favour. This will only be possible if factionalism is rooted out,” said Maphatsoe.
MK vets take aim at Cyril Ramaphosa, demand an end to corruption
The uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has taken aim at President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling for him to deal “decisively” with corruption.
MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe said rampant looting during the Covid-19 pandemic was a “litmus test” for Ramaphosa. He said this was a particularly right time for Ramaphosa to rise to the occasion, especially after campaigning on an anti-corruption card that led to his election as ANC president in December 2019.
The MKMVA said it was also concerned by divisions within the ANC national executive committee (NEC) led by Ramaphosa.
This disunity, said Maphatsoe, had led to an anti-corruption attitude that is targeting only a certain faction while turning a blind eye to the other. He said only a united NEC could deal with corruption without fear or favour and restore the credibility of the organisation.
Concerns and demands
Maphatsoe said the MKMVA, after a meeting of its NEC, will request an urgent meeting with the ANC top six to raise its concerns and demands.
“The MKMVA demands that all corruption be cleaned out without fear or favour. This will only be possible if factionalism is rooted out,” said Maphatsoe.
“The issue of Covid-19 looting is truly a litmus test for Ramaphosa. The president campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket and for unity in the ANC to successfully lynch the boil of corruption that is is now poisoning the whole body of our liberation movement,” he said.
Maphatsoe said if the credibility crisis the ANC faced was not addressed, the party would continue on a downward spiral.
He slammed the ANC NEC for issuing weak statements after its meetings.
Factionalised NEC
Maphatsoe said this was the result of a factionalised NEC only concerned about issuing media statements that are a “balancing act” to please both factions. He said it was for this reason the NEC had failed to implement resolutions discussed at the 2017 Nasrec national conference.
Maphatsoe said: “MKMVA is deeply distraught about recent large-scale corruption. Every manifestation of corruption should be exposed, condemned and acted against.
“The stealing and misappropriation of literally billions of rand in emergency funds in the context of the Covid-19 lockdown is truly beyond the pain of moral depravity and disdain for the people of our country.
“The factionalism and disunity in the ANC and prevalent in the NEC has reached such unequalled levels that our beloved liberation movement is literally paralysed and is failing the people of our country in their hour of need.
“This is tantamount to treasonous betrayal of our revolution. The ANC is in a deep and potentially fatal existential crisis. It is a watershed moment and the situation cannot be allowed to continue in this disastrous downward trajectory.”
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