MKMVA rejects Niehaus’ expulsion from ANC

By: ANG Reporter 

The Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Associations (MKMVA) has expressed its anger and distraught by the continued persecution of its National Spokesperson, NEC, and NWC member, Carl Mpangazitha Niehaus.

This comes after Niehaus was informed through social media leaks, that the ANC’s National Disciplinary Committee (NDC) had decided to expel him, based on what the MKMVA said were “entirely trumped up charges”.

“The manner in which comrade Niehaus had to learn about this attempted expulsion, through the decision of the NDC having been leaked on social media, is outrageous, illegal, and most disrespectful. The charges that have been brought against comrade Niehaus has right from its inception been totally vacuous, irregular, and trumped up”.

According to the MKMVA, the NDC was right from the beginning of these charges having been brought against Niehaus, fully aware that the utterances that had been made by him, last year from the 2nd to the 8th July 2021, were the verbatim articulation of the official position of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Associations (MKMVA), as contained in official resolutions taken by the NEC of MKMVA.

“In fact comrade Niehaus was instructed by the NEC of MKMVA to travel to the residence of President Jacob Zuma at Nkandla, and to convey those resolutions of the MKMVA NEC to him, and also to announce them publically to the media. This is exactly what comrade Niehaus did.

“The ANC NDC had been officially informed about this inescapable factual situation through a letter that the late President of MKMVA, comrade Kebby Maphatsoe, had written to the then Deputy Secretary General of the ANC, comrade Jessie Duarte, and a copy of which was also made available to the NDC.

“Despite the fact that the criticisms and serious concerns that comrade Niehaus articulated about the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) to sentence President Jacob Zuma to a 15-month prison sentence, were official decisions of our MKMVA NEC, he had been relentlessly persecuted for having done his job in articulating those decisions clearly and without fail, under very difficult circumstances. The NEC of MKMVA subsequently officially commended comrade Niehaus for a job well done, and that he filled the leadership vacuum that the ANC NEC so irresponsibly allowed to develop during that fateful time, through their glaring absence at Nkandla and other areas of conflict and tension,” said the MKMVA.

“The fact of the matter is that the relentless victimisation and persecution of comrade Niehaus is indeed the persecution of the whole of MKMVA. We must make it unequivocally clear that we do not see this as the persecution of comrade Niehaus alone, but as the victimisation and persecution of the whole of MKMVA”.

Furthermore, the MKMVA added: “This deliberate act of factional targeting, and persecution, is indeed only the continuation of the factional targeting and persecution that MKMVA, and all our members, have been subjected to in the most insidious manner by the NEC of the ANC, under the factional and triumphalist leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa. This culminated even in an illegal attempt to disband MKMVA, despite the fact the ANC NEC knew perfectly well that they were acting totally illegally, in pursuing that disastrous course of action.

“It must further be noted that the dragged-out charges, and many aborted signs of the NDC while pursuing comrade Niehaus, dragged on for more than a year. This in itself is in contravention of the ANC Constitution that stipulates that disciplinary procedures must be concluded expeditiously, and must lapse in the event of such proceedings taking longer than six months. Thus, the trumped up charges continued to be levelled against comrade Niehaus in an illegal, unconstitutional, and most malicious manner”.

MKMVA said it cannot fail to point out that Niehaus had said nothing different in the official MKMVA expression of its criticism of the Constitutional Court sentence against President Zuma, and its concern that the judiciary displayed serious signs of being captured, than what other senior members of the ANC have said, among those being Gwede Mantashe and Lindiwe Sisulu.

“They have not been charged, but comrade Niehaus is in the most malicious manner selectively targeted and relentlessly persecuted”.

“The vindictive decision by the ANC NDC to try and expel comrade Niehaus from the ANC is a fundamental and gross injustice, that must be challenged forthwith.

“MKMVA notes that comrade Niehaus has already filed an appeal against his expulsion, and we fully support him in having acted so expeditiously in fighting the gross injustice that is being perpetrated against him. MKMVA appreciates that since comrade Niehaus has now officially appealed his attempted expulsion by the NDC, the expulsion in itself is now suspended until the appeal has been heard and adjudicated on. Thus, it follows that comrade Niehaus remains a member of the ANC in good standing, and can participate in all the activities of the ANC, including the upcoming 55th National Conference of the ANC.”

MKMVA said that it stands in full, and principled, revolutionary solidarity with Niehaus, in understanding that his persecution is also its persecution as an organisation.

“It must be stated categorically that this is a situation that calls for principled comradeship, and revolutionary solidarity. The well-known saying, that an injury to one is an injury to all is fully applicable, as we say: Comrade Carl Niehaus is us, and we are Comrade Carl Niehaus!

“It must be stated unequivocally that comrade Carl Niehaus remains a full member of the NEC and NWC of MKMVA in good standing, and he will continue to execute his duties as National Spokesperson of MKMVA.

“In expressing our full support, and solidarity with comrade Niehaus, whom we call with respect Mpangazitha, we articulate our gratitude and admiration for the principled steadfastness in which he consistently defends and pursues our shared revolutionary ideals.

“We have come to expect this from comrade Mpangazitha, because history has no empty pages, and his long and well-known history of service to the full liberation of our people, testifies to that,” concluded the MKMVA in a statement.