Disgruntled ANC members in the BCM region have elected their own leaders, who vowed to occupy the party’s BCM office in East London today.
This means there will be two parallel structures in the region as another group elected its leaders last weekend.
The newly elected regional leaders and hundreds of determined cadres braved Saturday’s cold and wet weather to make their voices heard.
This weekend’s group say they were disappointed with their party in which thieves had stolen and looted, and that they wanted to “save the soul of the ANC”.
The leaders elected on Saturday announced they would occupy the regional office after their elective conference held at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
Last weekend’s faction held its conference in which a Pumlani Mkolo/Xola Pakati-led collective emerged unopposed, scooping the region’s top five leadership positions.
Pakati, BCM’s deputy mayor, was elected as regional chairman while Mkolo, as well as two of his co-accused in the Mandela funeral scandal – Luleka Simon-Ndzele and controversial councillor Sindiswa Gomba – were all elected to the party’s regional executive committee.
Simon is deputy chair and Gomba an additional member. Mkolo was placed on “leave” a few months ago by ANC provincial leaders following allegations of membership rigging. His deputy, Mkhangeli Maleki, was tasked with acting as the region’s secretary.
Mkolo is at the centre of the multimillion-rand Mandela memorial scandal that rocked the province, with a number of high-profile people charged with fraud related to money meant for the memorial service of the late former president, Nelson Mandela.
The disgruntled members had earlier vowed to hold their own conference, which they held on Saturday. Xolani Somaca was elected the official spokesman.
Joe Jordaan was elected convener with Mike Mnikina as his deputy. Mahlubi Dywili was elected for the position of coordinator and Nomathamsanqa Calata as his deputy. Patrick Daniso was elected treasurer. Twenty additional members were also elected.
Jordaan said groups linked to former ANCYL provincial chairman Ayanda Matiti and former BCM mayor Zukisa Faku had come together. “We are not forming another organisation – we want to strengthen the ANC. We are going to start as early as Monday preparing to take over the ANC office. It cannot be occupied by people who steal. We are going to the office to build the ANC,” he said.
Asked why there was no one from the provincial executive committee (PEC) or national executive committee (NEC) to endorse the gathering, Jordaan said: “We are not asking for anyone’s permission. All the people who are here are registered ANC members from the branches.”
The group said theirs was the real conference and that they would continue with parallel structures until President Jacob Zuma came to them.
“Luthuli House is too far. They must come to us. The walls of the ANC have fallen,” Jordaan said.
Attendees often chanted “# PhantsiMkolo, #PhantsiMabuyane and #PhantsiPhumulo” Mabuyane and Phumulo ”.
When contacted by the Dispatch yesterday, Mkolo refused to comment.
New group aims to ‘save ANC’s soul’
This means there will be two parallel structures in the region as another group elected its leaders last weekend.
The newly elected regional leaders and hundreds of determined cadres braved Saturday’s cold and wet weather to make their voices heard.
This weekend’s group say they were disappointed with their party in which thieves had stolen and looted, and that they wanted to “save the soul of the ANC”.
The leaders elected on Saturday announced they would occupy the regional office after their elective conference held at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday.
Last weekend’s faction held its conference in which a Pumlani Mkolo/Xola Pakati-led collective emerged unopposed, scooping the region’s top five leadership positions.
Pakati, BCM’s deputy mayor, was elected as regional chairman while Mkolo, as well as two of his co-accused in the Mandela funeral scandal – Luleka Simon-Ndzele and controversial councillor Sindiswa Gomba – were all elected to the party’s regional executive committee.
Simon is deputy chair and Gomba an additional member. Mkolo was placed on “leave” a few months ago by ANC provincial leaders following allegations of membership rigging. His deputy, Mkhangeli Maleki, was tasked with acting as the region’s secretary.
Mkolo is at the centre of the multimillion-rand Mandela memorial scandal that rocked the province, with a number of high-profile people charged with fraud related to money meant for the memorial service of the late former president, Nelson Mandela.
The disgruntled members had earlier vowed to hold their own conference, which they held on Saturday. Xolani Somaca was elected the official spokesman.
Joe Jordaan was elected convener with Mike Mnikina as his deputy. Mahlubi Dywili was elected for the position of coordinator and Nomathamsanqa Calata as his deputy. Patrick Daniso was elected treasurer. Twenty additional members were also elected.
Jordaan said groups linked to former ANCYL provincial chairman Ayanda Matiti and former BCM mayor Zukisa Faku had come together. “We are not forming another organisation – we want to strengthen the ANC. We are going to start as early as Monday preparing to take over the ANC office. It cannot be occupied by people who steal. We are going to the office to build the ANC,” he said.
Asked why there was no one from the provincial executive committee (PEC) or national executive committee (NEC) to endorse the gathering, Jordaan said: “We are not asking for anyone’s permission. All the people who are here are registered ANC members from the branches.”
The group said theirs was the real conference and that they would continue with parallel structures until President Jacob Zuma came to them.
“Luthuli House is too far. They must come to us. The walls of the ANC have fallen,” Jordaan said.
Attendees often chanted “# PhantsiMkolo, #PhantsiMabuyane and #PhantsiPhumulo” Mabuyane and Phumulo ”.
When contacted by the Dispatch yesterday, Mkolo refused to comment.
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