Durban - ANC comrades in the Midlands have turned on each other as members of Umkhonto WeSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKVA) demand to be employed in various municipalities.
The MKVA said it had resolved to campaign against the ANC chairman in the Moses Mabhida Region, Super Zuma (no relation of President Jacob Zuma), accusing him of “deliberately” failing to secure jobs for the military veterans.
The association’s regional secretary, Menzi Mkhize, said the gloves were off as former liberation militants had demanded priority when municipalities in the region filled vacancies.
Super Zuma has responded that it would be irresponsible to create jobs only for MKVA vets and pointed out that there were provincial and national bodies tasked with handling military veterans’ affairs.
Mkhize said they wanted private security company tenders with the municipality to end and for them to be replaced by MKVA members. He said the companies were “owned by Indians” who had “bribed” officials to retain contracts.
He accused Zuma of turning a blind eye to the poverty-stricken veterans in favour of his “Indian” friends.
“This weekend we had an MKVA regional general council where we took a resolution that Super Zuma must step down because he is only interested in enriching himself.
“We want him to resign and focus on his business. He had a farm near Cato Ridge and always drives flashy cars,” said Mkhize.
He said the leaders of the association had already started a campaign to oust Zuma.
“During the regional conference in Howick in November, delegates were promised jobs through the public works programme. Those people were only given temporary jobs and are angry that they are now left unemployed,” he said.
The Moses Mabhida Region is the uMgungundlovu District Municipality and is made up of the uMshwathi, Impendle, uMsunduzi, Richmond and Mkhambathi municipalities. The veterans want to be employed in all of these.
“We have negotiated with other municipalities from Greytown to Kokstad and they are co-operating with us. Only Super, who is big-headed and does not want to listen to anyone, refuses to co-operate,” said Mkhize.
But Zuma said he did not want to entertain a campaign to oust him. “I was elected by the ANC conference last year and I will serve my three-year term,” he said.
Zuma said the region had nothing to do with the affairs of the military veterans, as they were handled at a provincial and national government level. “I don’t think it would be right for us to create jobs only for MKVA without having a budget for that.
“These people also want to benefit from tenders, but they should register and be on the database.
“The president has a ministry in charge of military veterans and the premier has an office in charge of veterans, but these people don’t want to deal with those offices,” he said.
The Mercury