THE Monday meeting between leaders of Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans (MKMVA) and the ANC’s top six officials has collapsed.
MKMVA spokesperson Carl Niehaus said the meeting with the ANC’s top six officials collapsed because ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe was disrespectful and ‘dictatorial’ towards members and leaders of the association.
He said the meeting with the ANC leadership was meant to get clarity on the future of the veteran’s association following a recommendation by the ANC subcommittee on peace and stability.
“We will not be disrespected, nor will we bow to dictatorship,” said Niehaus.
Niehaus said in a statement that MKMVA was deeply aggrieved by the manner in which Mantashe conducted the meeting – including his decision to abruptly end the Zoom meeting without offering any reasonable explanation.
“After opening remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the effect that a decision was taken to disband MKMVA, and the parallel structure called MK National Council, the national office bearers of MKMVA requested for an explanation about why such a radical deviation from the MK unitary process is being imposed,” said Niehaus.
“Our president, comrade Kebby Maphatsoe, and deputy president, comrade Taylor Nsimbini, requested for explanations about these drastic steps in line with the letter that the president of MKMVA wrote on Sunday the 6th of June 2021 to the deputy secretary general of the ANC, comrade Jessie Duarte, requesting for proper explanations to be provided. While they were still expressing their concerns and insisting that reasons should be provided, the chairperson abruptly, ended the virtual Zoom meeting. Other members of the MKMVA national office bearers were not even provided with an opportunity to speak.”
Maphatsoe is now threatening to challenge the disbandment of the MKMVA in court.
- Inside Politics