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ANC to dissolve its military structures

OUTLAWED: The ANC's NEC has taken a decision to disband the MKMVA and MK Council. PICTURE BY IOL

A new body will be formed and will represent the MK veterans.


President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the ANC’s NEC the past weekend took the decision to dissolve the party’s MK structures as part of the battles to fight factionalism within the party.

The two structures are the uMkhondo weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and the uMkhonto weSizwe National Council (MKNC).

Ramaphosa made the announcement Monday night 29 March 2021 after the NEC’s extended meeting.

The party also resolved that members facing charges in court should step aside within 30 days, a decision that will affect national secretary Ace Magashule who faces charges at the Bloemfontein court in Free State.

If the members don’t step aside voluntarily the party’s highest a decision making body (between conferences) will be left with no option but to suspend them.

The MKMVA is led by Kebby Maphatsoe, an ally of Magashule, while the MKNC is led by Sphiwe Nyanda who is close to Ramaphosa and who currently serves as the country’s ambassador to Mozambique.

Ramaphosa said these two rival military structures will be replaced with a new one.

“The NEC expressed concern at the use of the name of uMkhonto weSizwe to promote factionalism in the ANC and to engage in acts of social instability,” the ANC President said.

He said they were concerned about the “proud history” of MK being brought into “disrepute”.

“The meeting urged the implementation of conference resolutions to urgently convene a conference and form a united structure of all MK military veterans,” he said.

The MK was dissolved in 1994 when South Africa held its first democratic elections, with the MKMVA established by the ANC to cater for the welfare needs of former MK soldiers but political infighting within the ANC led to the formation of the MK National Council in 2016 as a rival military grouping of the MKMVA.

(edited by MLM)

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