THE ANC VETERANS LEAGUE MOURNS THE DEATH OF ITS PROVINCIAL SECRETARY CDE PHUMZA DYANTYI
The ANC Veterans League is saddened by the untimely death of its Provincial Secretary, Dr Phumza Dyantyi who passed away on the 7th December 2020.
Dr Phumza Dyantyi was also a former MEC of Heath in the Eastern Cape and a Member of Parliament.
Comrade Dyantyi joined the underground structures of the ANC in the Eastern Cape and later skipped the country to be trained as a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe in Angola in 1978. She received her military training at the ANC camp in Novo Katenga in Angola and survived the bombardment of the camp by the racist regime forces.
Comrade Dyantyi was later sent to Cuba where she completed her training in Medicine. She was later deployed by the ANC to work at the public hospital in Zimbabwe.
When the ANC and other political organisations were unbanned in 1990,
Cde Dyantyi returned to South Africa and played an important role of rebuilding structures of the ANC.
Cde Dyantyi became the first Provincial Secretary of the ANC Veterans League when it was launched in 2009. She played an important role in building structures of the Veterans League, and, as a member of the Provincial Executive Committee of the Eastern Cape, sharply raised issues that affected the integrity of the ANC in society.
The Veterans League as a constitutional structure of the ANC has the authority to intervene on all issues that affect the integrity, values and ethics of our glorious movement.
Cde Dyantyi was very energetic, multi-skilled and wore many hats. We are reliably informed that she also served on the following Boards: Mida Private School, Nelson Mandela Museum, Ntinga Development Agency and the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS).
Because of her compassion about the welfare needs and the plight of former ex combatants, she was once a member of the Advisory Council on Military Veterans.
Comrade Dyantyi, you left us too early. Your energy, commitment and dedication will be missed. You left us when, as the ANC Veterans League, we are assuming our important and strategic role of uniting and renewing our glorious movement.
We are committing ourselves to establish and build active and credible branches and regions of the Veterans League. At the second conference in October 2017, the Veterans League took a resolution that the League should establish branches and regions.
Cde Dyantyi, at the ANC Veterans League’s Special Executive Committee’s virtual meeting which took place on the 28th of November 2020, you were not able to attend because you were in hospital. We resolved to humbly request the ANC/NWC /NEC that we should convene – together with the other structures of the movement and the Civil Society – a Special Conference on Unity and Renewal of the ANC.
As Veterans of the ANC, we are assuming our responsibility to unite and renew our glorious movement. We are committing ourselves to renew the ANC as the most effective force for social change.
The proposed special conference will focus on rebuilding the ANC that is united in action. Properly executed, this strategic task will have the effect of making the ANC an organisation which is fit for purpose of leading and continuing the process of democratising our country.
As Veterans of the movement, we are gravely concerned about a culture that is developing which is totally unANC – a culture that seeks to undermine our value systems, principles and revolutionary ethics and morality. There is an anti social behavior in society and no visible or tangible progress with regard to the task of the progressive repurposing of state institutions.
Uniting and Renewing our glorious movement is sacrosanct.
Cde Dyantyi, in honour of your memory, as members of the Veterans League, we will also help to rebuild branches of the ANC as centres for community development. We will be part of those who will roll out mass political education campaigns and heal the divisions within our organisation and the Alliance, and contribute to ending all factional activities in our democratic movement.
Cde Dyantyi we shall not disappoint you. We will ensure that our glorious movement recommits to the implementation of the resolutions of the 54th National Conference, that corruption, factionalism and dishonesty contradict our mission and damage our capacity to serve the people and use the country’s resources to achieve development and transformation. We support the reaffirmation of the NEC decision taken on the 30th August this year that those who are found wanting and charged for corruption and criminal offences should step aside.
As Veterans of the movement, we have the responsibility to cleanse, unite and renew our glorious movement.
Lala Ngoxolo Cde Dyantyi
Lala Ngoxolo Qhawe lama Qhawe.
