Memorandum of demands
5 December 2021
We, the community of uMkhonto weSizwe military veterans in Gauteng, represented by uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veteran Association (MKMVA):
Are gathered here as disciplined revolutionaries. With this act, we wish to express to the liberation movement of the people of South Africa – the African National Congress (ANC) that we yearn for a united ANC and this unity must transcend to all its formations; in particular MK military veterans.
On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the people’s army, we can no longer tolerate the ongoing rampant disregard of the principles and resolutions of our movement; and by extension, the betrayal of our struggle.
We gather here with bleeding hearts, pleading with those in the leadership not to continue tearing the people's liberation movement, the ANC, apart with factional battles. These actions are a distinct departure from the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) programme. We plead for an urgent implementation of the Resolutions of the movement as is the case with the latest 54th NASREC National Conference of the ANC, of 2017.
We have done everything in our power to raise these issues with our leadership. We have done so in marches and letters of demand. We have recorded the sadness of how our members - the heroes and heroines, the martyrs who gave their lives for our freedom - are now forgotten and treated like beggars in our democratic society.
Accordingly, we call upon the Acting Secretary General of the ANC to ensure that the ANC Officials include this memorandum of demands at their NEXT MEETING.
In line with the 54th National Conference resolutions that meeting must pronounce itself on how it is implementing:
1. Confirmation of the date of the inclusive Conference. When both MKMVA and MKNC were disbanded, the ANC made a commitment to announce the Unity Conference before the 60th anniversary of the formation of MK. Nothing has been said to date. No clarity and indeed no feedback about the Conference;
2. We demand immediate feedback on the process to address the welfare of Former MK Members ;
3. In the wake of the disbandment of MKMVA; we demand immediate information on how the ANC intends to handle the disbursement of its assets. MKMVA had shares in mining companies and many other companies. What is going to happen to all those assets and shares?
4. In the light of the embarrassing performance in the recent elections, can we be assured as to how the movement intends to ensure unity of the ANC and the Alliance to enable us to sharpen our capacity to advance and defend the national democratic revolution; and how
5. They are to ensure that Creation of a Stand-alone Ministry for Military Veterans, and address the persistent under-resourcing of the Department of Military Veterans with a dedicated budget for the Department of Military Veterans, which should ensure the development and wellbeing of Military Veterans;
6. Immediate implementation of the Military Veterans Act in full!
7. Immediate halt the scam used currently as a process of vérification until credible structure of military veterans is in place to ensure comprehensive data base of all ex-combatants, including the demobilisation process;
8. The country is in the midst of an energy crisis. Our people have had enough of power cuts. Government must act on the global notion that: “Economic growth in the modern world is fueled by energy.”
9. Our people are ravaged by economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Unemployment number are sky-high and rising each day. The ANC cannot afford to turn a blind eye and look away. We need urgent measures to mitigate this impact.
We demand that a response to these demands be sent to us in writing within 14 days, failure to which we will deem as being in disregard of the just and legitimate concerns by a constitutional structures of the ANC. Such failure will definitely lead to us undertaking further carefully considered action in order to get our legitimate demands addressed.
Issued by Carl Niehaus on behalf of MKMVA Gauteng, 5 December 2021
