ANC top brass descended on the Eastern Cape yesterday in a fact-finding mission after complaints from premier Phumulo Masualle and his supporters.
They are questioning the legitimacy of events leading to the election of Oscar Mabuyane as the province’s new ANC chairman and his executive earlier this month.
Masualle and his supporters walked out of the three-day ANC elective conference at the East London ICC after the meeting turned violent over a dispute about credentials.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, the ruling party assigned its top leaders, headed by President Jacob Zuma, to go to all ANC regions in the province and meet with branches, as well as regional top leaders.
President Zuma lead a team to the Dr WB Rubusana region in East London where he met Buffalo City ANC leaders, while his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa went to Amathole region.
Treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize headed a team in Joe Gqabi region and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe one in Nelson Mandela Metro.
ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said: “Following the complaints lodged with the ANC national officials by the group of former PEC members, the national working committee decided to visit all eight regions of the province with five representatives per branch.
“This will be followed by a meeting between the national executive committee members and the PEC on Monday in East London,” said Kodwa.
Masualle had made himself available to serve a third term as provincial chairman at the conference.
His deputy and provincial treasurer – Sakhumzi Somyo and Thandiswa Marawu – also contested to serve another term, but also failed.
The party now has Mlungisi Mvoko as deputy chairman, Lulama Ngcukayithobi as provincial secretary, Helen Sauls-August as deputy secretary and Babalo Madikizela as treasurer.
The Masualle-led group held sessions with the ANC leaders and presented their side of the story a few weeks ago.
This was followed by yet another session at which Mabuyane as then-provincial secretary, and Sauls-August as his deputy, were grilled by the party’s top leaders in Cape Town about events leading to the conference.
It was at this meeting that it was agreed to let the newly elected structure continue while the party tried to find a solution to the complaint. This week’s visit is part of that commitment.
ANC top bosses in EC to get the facts straight
They are questioning the legitimacy of events leading to the election of Oscar Mabuyane as the province’s new ANC chairman and his executive earlier this month.
Masualle and his supporters walked out of the three-day ANC elective conference at the East London ICC after the meeting turned violent over a dispute about credentials.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, the ruling party assigned its top leaders, headed by President Jacob Zuma, to go to all ANC regions in the province and meet with branches, as well as regional top leaders.
President Zuma lead a team to the Dr WB Rubusana region in East London where he met Buffalo City ANC leaders, while his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa went to Amathole region.
Treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize headed a team in Joe Gqabi region and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe one in Nelson Mandela Metro.
ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said: “Following the complaints lodged with the ANC national officials by the group of former PEC members, the national working committee decided to visit all eight regions of the province with five representatives per branch.
“This will be followed by a meeting between the national executive committee members and the PEC on Monday in East London,” said Kodwa.
Masualle had made himself available to serve a third term as provincial chairman at the conference.
His deputy and provincial treasurer – Sakhumzi Somyo and Thandiswa Marawu – also contested to serve another term, but also failed.
The party now has Mlungisi Mvoko as deputy chairman, Lulama Ngcukayithobi as provincial secretary, Helen Sauls-August as deputy secretary and Babalo Madikizela as treasurer.
The Masualle-led group held sessions with the ANC leaders and presented their side of the story a few weeks ago.
This was followed by yet another session at which Mabuyane as then-provincial secretary, and Sauls-August as his deputy, were grilled by the party’s top leaders in Cape Town about events leading to the conference.
It was at this meeting that it was agreed to let the newly elected structure continue while the party tried to find a solution to the complaint. This week’s visit is part of that commitment.
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