Snuki Zikalala elected as ANC Veterans League President
ANC member and former SABC current affairs managing director Snuki Zikalala has been elected unopposed as the ANC Veterans League (ANCVL) President.
Zikalala was elected unopposed on Day 2 of the League's 3rd conference held at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on Saturday.
Zikalala emerged as the sole nominee for the position despite murmurs early in the week that he would face off with fellow party member Tony Yengeni whom the ANCVL clarified that he was not branch member and therefore could not contest the position.
Mavuso Msimang on the other hand was announced as Deputy President.
Connie September was meanwhile elected as Deputy Secretary General of the ANC Veterans League.
Like Zikalala, Msimang remained as the sole nominees in the respective position.
Previously, Zikalala indicated that going into the 2024 national elections, the Veterans League was against the ruling party joining forces with other parties.
"The conference will take a firm stand on coalitions because we as Veterans believe that we are not going into the coming elections because we want to form coalitions. We are going for an outright victory of the African National Congress.
“Where we have lost, we prefer going back to the branches rather than going into coalitions. Let's expose the party if they are not delivering to a specific society, especially the poor. So let's work hard to regain those votes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ANCVL's deputy convenor Susan Shabangu, who is contesting the position of secretary-general, reiterated the firm warning that was previously issued by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula who indicated that the ruling party would not hesitate to act against “rogue party members.”
"The issue of renewal in the ANC has become a priority for the Veterans League," Shabangu said, adding that discipline needs to be built in the party.
She also highlighted the need to move with speed in ensuring that the ANC has legitimate members.
" The issue of audits must not be a paper thing. People must be audited and make sure they are the kind of people we expect in the ANC."
She further said one of the ways in which the party can regain the trust of voters across the country, is to ensure that the 40 municipalities that are not in good shape have competent and skilled people but above all are able to deliver.
By 5pm, the names of the three other top five candidates namely secretary-general, deputy secretary-general and treasurer-general were yet to be announced as delegates were locked in commissions.
IOL