The ANC Women’s League convened its ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting from the 7th to 8th of December 2024, at Hotel Sky in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The NEC made an in-depth assessment of the state of the ANC Women’s League and engaged on a number of interventions to strengthen all organs of our organization in pursuit of renewal and to respond to the plight of the downtrodden masses of our country.

The NEC deliberated on a number of challenges that the country and the marginalized continue to confront which include persistent unemployment, abject poverty and sky rocketing incidents of Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).

Albeit this NEC has just surpassed its first year in office, we are proud to have traversed difficult social and political terrain in our advance for the total liberation of our people, who are in majority Black and women,

The NEC has since observed a sombre moment of silence in honour of our dedicated NEC member, Comrade Josephine Lelaka who succumbed to ill-health recently, but also pledged our heartfelt condolences once again, to multiple young lives lost across the country as a result of foodborne illnesses.

The NEC further paid homage to multitudes of women and young girls who have fallen prey to some barbaric men and died as a result of Gender Based Violence and Femicide, which has become a second pandemic in our country.

We condemn the senseless and inhumane killing of innocent women and the persistent abuse which sometimes takes place at the probable comfort of our homes as women, and we call on the law enforcement institutions to mobilise all available resources to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.

The ANC Women’s League has since taken a firm stance to march to the Union Buildings in Tshwane on the 29th of November 2024, to demand preventive legislation and punishment of convicted offenders without any fear or favour

The recent march was a collaboration of various civil society organisations and political formations to convey a clear message that GBVF is a societal challenge and knows no social or political persuasion.

We are resolute to put pressure on the President of the Republic and all relevant institutions to commit with action and palpable interventions to our memorandum of demands, as presented to the highest office of the land.

The NEC reiterated the ANC Women’s League support to the families of children who lost their lives as a consequence of unregulated market of spaza shops and street vendors, and we make a commitment to work with the government in its effort to protect innocent lives and regulate our local economy.

We are however unambiguous in our call for undocumented foreign nationals who have been alleged to be leading in trading in this market without following due processes as required by the laws of the land, that they must be arrested, processed and immediately deported where foul play has been established.

The NEC therefore did not mince words in our call for intergovernmental collaboration to expedite feasible and lasting solutions, and to take the nation into confidence on radical interventions articulated by the President in his recent address to combat further incidents of foodborne illnesses.

As the largest women’s organisation in Africa, the ANC Women’s League took a moment to celebrate the emergence of South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) as an outright winner in the recent national elections in Namibia.

We therefore commend SWAPO and the people of Namibia for conferring the political duty to a woman for the first time in their history, and we have faith in the capabilities of Comrade Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and we congratulate her on her election as President-Elect of Namibia.

The political developments in Namibia resonate with our long-held view of women leadership and the NEC resolved to campaign tirelessly for women to contest for strategic positions in all structures of the ANC from branch to national level.

The ANC Women’s League will be joining the 113th Birthday Celebrations of the ANC in Cape Town in January, and the NEC resolved on women leadership as a strategic advancement of the ANC’s non-sexist character, and shall direct all our structures to lobby this position as we approach the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The NEC also applauds our beautiful motherland for the global recognition attained through the recent G20 Summit which bestowed South Africa the honour of ascending to the Presidency of this global grouping which fosters policy making and economic stability.

The ANC Women’s League NEC is steadfast in our resolve for the cause of national liberation, emancipation of women and international solidarity with the people of Palestine, Western Sahara and other occupied territories.

The NEC re-affirmed the ANC Women’s League resolution to advance decisive action towards the full liberation and emancipation of women.

We therefore wish all women of this country a safer festive season and a joyous holiday.

Malibongwee!!!!

ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WOMEN’S LEAGUE

Comrade Nokuthula Nqaba
ANCWL Secretary-General

For Enquiries

Comrade Boitumelo Moiloa
Tel: 082 468 5825 /  076 197 8896