We must reclaim the liberation movement from money merchants

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Since the advent of democracy there has been a disturbing, discernible trend within the Liberation movement to seek to usurp the constitutional structures of the ANC and to redefine their constitutional mandate. The intention is to divert these structures from their stated constitutional mandate for reasons that have nothing to do with the historical objectives of the Liberation Movement. Clearly the main intention is to take control of the ANC structures to take control of its government. This includes control of all state institutions and legislatures at all levels. The plot is to ensure that when you have all your factional cadres in key positions, you can then do as you wish. The ANC’s age-old and noble objectives are then easily replaced by factional objectives to serve the interests of a tiny minority that is in control of all key levers of power both in the ANC and state. We have seen this phenomenon creeping into how major decisions are taken. Historically the ANC’s highest decision body is its national conference, constituted by its branches. The conference decides on the policy direction the ANC will take in the next ve years. It also elects its national executive that will take all important decisions for that same period. The decisions taken by the national conference are sacrosanct and final.

No structure or leader of the ANC can change its decisions except at the next national conference.

Generations before us have stuck religiously to the above precepts and practices and this is essentially how the ANC has survived and grown in the last 100 years. Yet some in today’s generation seem to be wanting that key component and building block of the ANC be tampered with. Allowing this to happen is tantamount to dismantling the ANC. The movement will then be replaced by money-wielding members and leaders whose main mission is to take over the ANC and control all its structures at all levels through the use of money.

Many have not taken this lying down. In many meetings they have asked where is this money coming from. This question must be answered because if we follow the money, we are likely to get to the bottom of this scourge by exposing the real funders and buyers of our branches and their intentions.

When the leadership begins to abide by the mandate given to them by the branches in a national conference and implement that mandate through the implementation of conference resolutions, the ANC will grow, unite and live longer for another 100 years.

If the ANC is left to the power-hungry designs of the money merchants, it will shrink and be divided. Its death will be certain as it would be in the hands of those who have abandoned its historical mandate.

The masses have no choice but to fight in the same way they fought against the apartheid system to reclaim their glorious Movement and continue the struggle for the total emancipation of all South Africans from the yoke of poverty, landlessness, joblessness and starvation.

* Yengeni is a member of the ANC national executive committee.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.