ANC mates turned rivals Pumlani Mkolo and Ayanda Matiti are viewed as the drawcards when Buffalo City ANC branches battle it out for control during the party’s regional conference next month.
This follows an announcement by ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane yesterday that Calata House was working “around the clock” to ensure both the province’s metros – BCM and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro – get ready to go to their elective conferences by June.
“We can safely say BCM is more than ready. They are ready to go to conference in March, failing which the beginning of April.
“We are going to start auditing branches next week across seven ANC regions, but the metros are a priority. The only teething problems in BCM is gatekeeping. As the PEC we have asked our deployees to ensure maximum participation of our members at this conference, not a select few to favour some,” said Mabuyane.
The Saturday Dispatch can reveal today Mkolo is likely to contest for a second term.
This is despite his scheduled court appearance in April for his alleged involvement in swindling millions from the metro’s coffers during preparations for Nelson Mandela’s memorial services in December 2013.
In Mkolo’s line-up, there are plans to replace the current regional chairman Zukisa Faku with her deputy Xola Phakathi. If all goes according to plan, BCM deputy mayor Themba Tinta is likely to contest the deputy chairman position.
However, supporters of former ANCYL provincial chairman Matiti want him to replace Mkolo as BCM regional secretary. The two have been on the same page since the watershed Polokwane conference when they both supported the ousting of Thabo Mbeki as president in favour of Jacob Zuma.
They campaigned together again towards Mangaung in 2012, as they changed tunes and wanted Zuma out in favour of Kgalema Motlanthe.
The two broke ranks in 2013 when Matiti’s ANC Youth League campaigned for the ousting of Mabuyane in favour of Michael Peter. Mkolo had a different view, as he fully supported Mabuyane’s second term in office.
The two Mdantsane-born “diehards” and boxing fans have not seen eye-to-eye since.
The Dispatch can reveal today Matiti will contest against Mkolo as regional secretary, come the elective conference next month.
In his line-up is former BCM mayor Lulamile Nazo, who is likely to contest for the chairman position. ANC MPL Mninawa Nyusile forms part of this line-up and would be contesting to be Nazo’s deputy.
The Dispatch understands caucuses were being held to lobby support from alliance partners as well as the leagues since December.
“Once branch annual general meetings start we will be able to get a sense of in whose favour this conference will be. The contest revolves around Matiti and Mkolo. With the ANC’s system of slates, it becomes winner takes all,” said a source.
Matiti, Mkolo, Nazo, and Nyusile could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the region said it would not take sides in the battle.
Sanco’s BCM organiser Mxolisi Somaca said: “The danger of supporting a faction is if your grouping loses, you get sidelined for the entire term of office.
“As a collective we have agreed to stay away from this and allow the ANC to do its programmes and once there is an elected leadership, we will work with it and prepare for the 2016 elections,” said Somaca.
Mabuyane said likely to follow after BCM will be the five other regions – OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Sarah Baartman, Joe Gqabi and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
Big battle for control of BCM
This follows an announcement by ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane yesterday that Calata House was working “around the clock” to ensure both the province’s metros – BCM and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro – get ready to go to their elective conferences by June.
“We can safely say BCM is more than ready. They are ready to go to conference in March, failing which the beginning of April.
“We are going to start auditing branches next week across seven ANC regions, but the metros are a priority. The only teething problems in BCM is gatekeeping. As the PEC we have asked our deployees to ensure maximum participation of our members at this conference, not a select few to favour some,” said Mabuyane.
The Saturday Dispatch can reveal today Mkolo is likely to contest for a second term.
This is despite his scheduled court appearance in April for his alleged involvement in swindling millions from the metro’s coffers during preparations for Nelson Mandela’s memorial services in December 2013.
In Mkolo’s line-up, there are plans to replace the current regional chairman Zukisa Faku with her deputy Xola Phakathi. If all goes according to plan, BCM deputy mayor Themba Tinta is likely to contest the deputy chairman position.
However, supporters of former ANCYL provincial chairman Matiti want him to replace Mkolo as BCM regional secretary. The two have been on the same page since the watershed Polokwane conference when they both supported the ousting of Thabo Mbeki as president in favour of Jacob Zuma.
They campaigned together again towards Mangaung in 2012, as they changed tunes and wanted Zuma out in favour of Kgalema Motlanthe.
The two broke ranks in 2013 when Matiti’s ANC Youth League campaigned for the ousting of Mabuyane in favour of Michael Peter. Mkolo had a different view, as he fully supported Mabuyane’s second term in office.
The two Mdantsane-born “diehards” and boxing fans have not seen eye-to-eye since.
The Dispatch can reveal today Matiti will contest against Mkolo as regional secretary, come the elective conference next month.
In his line-up is former BCM mayor Lulamile Nazo, who is likely to contest for the chairman position. ANC MPL Mninawa Nyusile forms part of this line-up and would be contesting to be Nazo’s deputy.
The Dispatch understands caucuses were being held to lobby support from alliance partners as well as the leagues since December.
“Once branch annual general meetings start we will be able to get a sense of in whose favour this conference will be. The contest revolves around Matiti and Mkolo. With the ANC’s system of slates, it becomes winner takes all,” said a source.
Matiti, Mkolo, Nazo, and Nyusile could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) in the region said it would not take sides in the battle.
Sanco’s BCM organiser Mxolisi Somaca said: “The danger of supporting a faction is if your grouping loses, you get sidelined for the entire term of office.
“As a collective we have agreed to stay away from this and allow the ANC to do its programmes and once there is an elected leadership, we will work with it and prepare for the 2016 elections,” said Somaca.
Mabuyane said likely to follow after BCM will be the five other regions – OR Tambo, Chris Hani, Sarah Baartman, Joe Gqabi and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
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