Johannesburg – Despite his harsh words for the ANC veterans, President Jacob Zuma would be welcome to join them, ANC Veterans League president Snuki Zikalala said.
Zuma told delegates during an off the cuff moment in his political address to the party's conference at Nasrec on Saturday that the Veterans League must not be "part of the problems of the ANC".
"It was never in the mind of the organisation that this could be a vehicle to be used to cause more problems in the ANC," Zuma said.
"I'm an outgoing president, and my major operations now will be, among others, with the veterans. I will remind my comrades that their main purpose is to help the movement."
- SPECIAL REPORT: #ANC VOTES
Zikalala said on Sunday morning that the relationship between the president and the league was good.
He denied that the veterans took sides in the ANC's factional battles.
"The president, what he said yesterday [Saturday] is his own view."
He said Zuma would be "most welcome" in the league after he steps down as president.
"When he is a member, we'll sit down, because he must apply to become a member of the veterans league. And from there he will attend our meetings and we'll sit down and we'll make sure we build a very strong ANC."
Visit our special report, #ANCVotes, for all the news, analysis and opinions about the ANC’s national elective conference.
