A deep fissure has been exposed within the ANC in the Eastern Cape after two regional secretaries faced threats from the provincial leadership to suspend them.
The realignment refers to boundary changes for some of the wards within Amathole.
Mabuyane said the Amathole cases they were referring to were so serious the PWC has declared the region “a hot spot”. He said the PLC had even deployed Phumelele Ndamase “full-time” to the region, “to attend to all other organisational matters that may arise”.
But Ntuthu said they were just being targeted as the region, to create division “because of a perception that we won’t support Mabuyane’s ambitions to be provincial chairman when we go for our provincial conference.
“We only have five branches out of 120 who are still awaiting outcomes of appeals. The rest have implemented .
“Why is Amathole going to be declared a hot spot while everything is in order?” asked Ntuthu.
The province is due for its elective conference in July next year, but Mabuyane confirmed it was likely to be held later this year, if the party decided this.
“For me, whether there will be a conference or not is neither here or there. People must not come here and make excuses when they don’t want to co-operate with organisational structures deployed in their regions.
“This has nothing to do with the provincial conference. The PWC wants someone to account for his actions, that’s it,” said Mabuyane.
Amathole is the second biggest region after the Mthatha-centred OR Tambo region. It covers areas such as Ngqushwa, Nkonkobe, Mbhashe and Mnquma.
Its elected regional chairman Sakhumzi Somyo has since been elected the ANC provincial deputy chairman, and is viewed as the provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle’s right-hand-man within the ANC top five.
Ntuthu said: “The assumption is we will support Masualle for a third term just because he is viewed as our former chairman’s ally against Mabuyane. We are not yet there.
“But at the same time, we are not going to allow some provincial leaders to come to Amathole and impose people on our lists like in 2011. Not while I am regional secretary,” said Ntuthu.
A source close to the developments said: “What is clear is these two are amongst those likely to work against Mabuyane’s ambitions to be provincial chairman.
“They are being sidelined to firm up support in these regions through council deployees. They are repeating what they did in 2011 which made it easy for Mabuyane to win a second term as secretary in Port Elizabeth.”
Mabuyane denied he had any ambitions to be provincial chairman.
“These people are mischievous. No one has discussed succession yet. We are still busy with preparations for elections here.
“That is not going to stop us from investigating claims against Joe Gqabi secretary or Amathole’s for that matter.”
Mabuyane said the disciplinary investigations against the two regional secretaries were not at all related to processes leading to the provincial elections.
Bongela’s faction outclassed a Mabuyane-aligned group last October during a regional elective conference.
“That we are an anti-Mabuyane group is often cited but not necessarily based on facts. What we are observing is that we are being victimised for such association.
“Interestingly, Teris is my friend and comrade. It cannot be a coincidence that we are being targeted towards an elective provincial conference.
“They are willing to do anything to see to it that we are on suspension even though I never assaulted anyone. Let’s await the court processes and see who did what. I am more than confident, I am clean,” said Bongela.
Divide in provincial ANC: claims that Mabuyane’s ambition behind moves to suspend leaders
The realignment refers to boundary changes for some of the wards within Amathole.
Mabuyane said the Amathole cases they were referring to were so serious the PWC has declared the region “a hot spot”. He said the PLC had even deployed Phumelele Ndamase “full-time” to the region, “to attend to all other organisational matters that may arise”.
But Ntuthu said they were just being targeted as the region, to create division “because of a perception that we won’t support Mabuyane’s ambitions to be provincial chairman when we go for our provincial conference.
“We only have five branches out of 120 who are still awaiting outcomes of appeals. The rest have implemented .
“Why is Amathole going to be declared a hot spot while everything is in order?” asked Ntuthu.
The province is due for its elective conference in July next year, but Mabuyane confirmed it was likely to be held later this year, if the party decided this.
“For me, whether there will be a conference or not is neither here or there. People must not come here and make excuses when they don’t want to co-operate with organisational structures deployed in their regions.
“This has nothing to do with the provincial conference. The PWC wants someone to account for his actions, that’s it,” said Mabuyane.
Amathole is the second biggest region after the Mthatha-centred OR Tambo region. It covers areas such as Ngqushwa, Nkonkobe, Mbhashe and Mnquma.
Its elected regional chairman Sakhumzi Somyo has since been elected the ANC provincial deputy chairman, and is viewed as the provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle’s right-hand-man within the ANC top five.
Ntuthu said: “The assumption is we will support Masualle for a third term just because he is viewed as our former chairman’s ally against Mabuyane. We are not yet there.
“But at the same time, we are not going to allow some provincial leaders to come to Amathole and impose people on our lists like in 2011. Not while I am regional secretary,” said Ntuthu.
A source close to the developments said: “What is clear is these two are amongst those likely to work against Mabuyane’s ambitions to be provincial chairman.
“They are being sidelined to firm up support in these regions through council deployees. They are repeating what they did in 2011 which made it easy for Mabuyane to win a second term as secretary in Port Elizabeth.”
Mabuyane denied he had any ambitions to be provincial chairman.
“These people are mischievous. No one has discussed succession yet. We are still busy with preparations for elections here.
“That is not going to stop us from investigating claims against Joe Gqabi secretary or Amathole’s for that matter.”
Mabuyane said the disciplinary investigations against the two regional secretaries were not at all related to processes leading to the provincial elections.
Bongela’s faction outclassed a Mabuyane-aligned group last October during a regional elective conference.
“That we are an anti-Mabuyane group is often cited but not necessarily based on facts. What we are observing is that we are being victimised for such association.
“Interestingly, Teris is my friend and comrade. It cannot be a coincidence that we are being targeted towards an elective provincial conference.
“They are willing to do anything to see to it that we are on suspension even though I never assaulted anyone. Let’s await the court processes and see who did what. I am more than confident, I am clean,” said Bongela.
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