ANC Veterans League wants constitutional amendments to prevent rogue elements from joining ANC

ANC Veterans' League chairperson Snuki Zikalala. Picture: Antoine de Ras/African News Agency (ANA)

ANC Veterans' League chairperson Snuki Zikalala. Picture: Antoine de Ras/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jul 27, 2023

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The ANC Veterans League wants amendments to the Constitution of the ANC to prevent people who are facing criminal charges or have been convicted from joining the party.

ANCVL convenor Snuki Zikalala said some of the branches of the party have been hijacked by rogue elements and they need to get rid of them.

He said they want to go to the National Executive Committee of the ANC to take a resolution on this matter that there must be a strict criteria for anyone who wants to join the organisation.

Zikalala and Susan Shabangu were on Thursday briefing the media ahead of the start conference of the veterans league at Birchwood hotel in Boksburg on Friday.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is expected to open the conference.

Zikalala said one of the constitutional amendments they wanted to make was that anyone who joins the ANC must undergo compulsory political education and go through the OR Tambo School of Leadership.

The conference will discuss constitutional amendments.

“In the second (amendment), we are saying there should be strict criteria to admit people who want to join the ANC. We are saying in our constitution those who were involved in criminal activities or have been found guilty by a court of law should not be considered members of the veterans league or neither as members of the ANC because we know that some of our branches have been hijacked by rogues. We have to get rid of those rogues. You cannot have an organisation that has people who are criminally implicated or who are still facing trial. That is one of the constitutional amendments,” said Zikalala.

He said they will ask the ANC NEC to take a resolution on this matter.

He said before anyone joins the ANC, they must look at their profile so that they do not attract people with a criminal past or going through court processes.

The ANCVL has put it on the table that before you join the party, there must be strict criteria to admit members, said Zikalala.