Stalwarts and veterans of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Monday expressed hope for a well-crafted January 8th Statement which will be delivered by newly elected party president Cyril Ramaphosa later this week.

The idea of marking the anniversary of the founding of the ANC with a statement has become tradition and is known as the January 8th Statement.

The stalwarts believe that most South Africans will be able to identify with this year’s statement of intent.

“Our concern is simple; our people cannot eat words. The incoming NEC (National Executive Committee) must deliver and be seen to deliver on every aspect of the statement, something the outgoing NEC failed to do,” they asserted.

However, the stalwarts were pleased that the December ANC National Conference had had wide ranging and positive discussions on priorities within the ruling party which included the need for real scrutiny of the suitability of the present elected leadership, at all levels of the movement.

They hope that the new NEC is given new powers to ensure the original intentions of the NEC’s 2013 decision to hold leadership accountable and to ensure that the integrity of the ANC is not compromised.

The stalwarts also came out in support of the NEC setting up an effective committee to fast-track the consideration of ‘one member, one vote’ for ANC elections at a provincial and national level and the urgent introduction of an effective membership system.

The stalwarts and veterans added that they were pleased that the new NEC will formally initiate an all-inclusive National Consultative Conference in early 2018.

“If our leadership pretends that principled unity can be built without honestly confronting the challenges within the ANC, the electorate will continue to do what was done in 2016, until it is too late for the ANC to restore the trust our communities have historically given us,” the stalwarts concluded.