Coalitions do not work for the people, says newly-elected ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala

Coalitions do not work for the people, says newly-elected ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala.

The newly-elected ANC Veterans League president, Snuki Zikalala said local government coalitions will not be part of their renewal process as they delay service delivery to the people.

“We cannot invest our energy in coalition politics. Coalitions don’t work for the people,” Zikalala said.

Video: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL

Zikalala addressed the media at the ANC headquarters, Luthuli House, Johannesburg, on Monday. This was following the Veterans League’s third national elective conference at Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni this past weekend.

Zikalala called on the ANC to review their participation in coalition arrangements as they are costly for the ANC and are not consistent with the framework adopted by the NEC.

This comes after the NEC expressed their disappointment that some of the coalitions in which the ANC is involved are not informed by the framework adopted by the NEC of the ANC. “This is discrediting the movement in the eyes of ordinary people,” Zikalala said.

Zikalala said the resolutions passed by the conference were focused on building the Veteran’s League, renewal of the ANC, and addressing issues of poor service delivery and the current load shedding crisis.

Zikalala added that several concrete and implementable proposals were made in respect of renewing the ANC, including tightening membership criteria and strengthening the disciplinary structures and integrity commission.

Veterans from all walks of life, and all parts of the country who have been involved in exile, armed struggle, mass mobilisation, trade unions, and faith-based organisations are committed to working tirelessly to both build ANC structures and impact the problems facing their communities and the country, Zikalala stated.

According to Zikalala, delegates urged the mother body to be a disciplined and coherent organisation that is free from corruption, factionalism and political violence.

“They committed themselves to be a ‘resource for the organisation’, especially in terms of cadre development and political education,” he said.

He said that the league’s conference reasserted the need for an outright victory for the ANC in the 2024 elections.

The list of additional NEC members is as follows:

1. Zakes Tolo

2. Joel Netshitendze

3. Johnny de Lange

4. Lisa Seftel

5. Baby Tyawa

6. James Ngculu

7. Sheila Sisulu

8. Sue Rabkin

9. Reverend Frank Chikane