The process of realigning the boundaries of Buffalo City Metro (BCM) wards is one of the reasons some disgruntled ANC members want the party’s regional conference shelved.
The members are calling on BCM to finalise the process of realigning ward boundaries after the inclusion of neighbouring municipalities and villages into the metro.
“Why would they want to rush to convene the conference even before the realignment process?” the leader of the protesters, Mlulami Nziweni, asked.
“There are branches from Peddie that have joined Buffalo City. When we go to conference they will be left outside,” Nziweni said.
“At ward 40 we have seven villages that have joined us. What we need to do is to realign, then go to BAGMs to elect new leadership,”
Their latest grievance adds to a list of complaints the members have been sending to their provincial and national bosses.
These include allegations of backdating membership forms, gate-keeping and bulk membership buying, among others.
However, BCM interim regional secretary, Mkhawuleli Maleki, downplayed the complaint on the realignment of wards.
“That process has nothing to do with the ANC conference. It is for the local government elections.
“People are now shifting goal posts. If this complaint was legitimate, it wouldn’t be people from BCM who are complaining, it should be those that will be joining BCM wards,” Maleki said.
Thirty disgruntled members braved the King William’s Town cold weather and spent a night outside the ANC provincial headquarters on Wednesday.
The members were part of hundreds of ANC members who converged on Calata House on Wednesday to stage a sit-in to demand that the upcoming BCM regional conference be shelved.
When a Daily Dispatch team arrived at Calata House yesterday, most of the ANC members who spent the night a few metres away from Calata House gates, were elderly people. Some still had their blankets with them.
Njigoduka Ntoyakhe from BCM ward 13, who was one of those who spent the night there, said they had decided to sleep there to display their discontent.
“This region cannot go to conference without first resolving outstanding disputes. The leadership of the region needs to be disbanded and a regional task team instituted,” said Ntoyakhe. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
Ward boundaries adds to protest
The members are calling on BCM to finalise the process of realigning ward boundaries after the inclusion of neighbouring municipalities and villages into the metro.
“Why would they want to rush to convene the conference even before the realignment process?” the leader of the protesters, Mlulami Nziweni, asked.
“There are branches from Peddie that have joined Buffalo City. When we go to conference they will be left outside,” Nziweni said.
“At ward 40 we have seven villages that have joined us. What we need to do is to realign, then go to BAGMs to elect new leadership,”
Their latest grievance adds to a list of complaints the members have been sending to their provincial and national bosses.
These include allegations of backdating membership forms, gate-keeping and bulk membership buying, among others.
However, BCM interim regional secretary, Mkhawuleli Maleki, downplayed the complaint on the realignment of wards.
“That process has nothing to do with the ANC conference. It is for the local government elections.
“People are now shifting goal posts. If this complaint was legitimate, it wouldn’t be people from BCM who are complaining, it should be those that will be joining BCM wards,” Maleki said.
Thirty disgruntled members braved the King William’s Town cold weather and spent a night outside the ANC provincial headquarters on Wednesday.
The members were part of hundreds of ANC members who converged on Calata House on Wednesday to stage a sit-in to demand that the upcoming BCM regional conference be shelved.
When a Daily Dispatch team arrived at Calata House yesterday, most of the ANC members who spent the night a few metres away from Calata House gates, were elderly people. Some still had their blankets with them.
Njigoduka Ntoyakhe from BCM ward 13, who was one of those who spent the night there, said they had decided to sleep there to display their discontent.
“This region cannot go to conference without first resolving outstanding disputes. The leadership of the region needs to be disbanded and a regional task team instituted,” said Ntoyakhe. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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