WITH about a month to go before the hotly contested Eastern Cape ANC conference, the party’s top leader appears likely to retain his position.
A new ANC faction met in Bunkers Hill on Saturday night and agreed to support Phumulo Masualle’s second term as provincial ANC chairman – but made it clear it intended contesting the other positions of deputy chairman, treasurer, secretary and deputy secretary.
Earlier in the week, another faction met at an East London beachfront hotel and announced its support for the present leadership to remain unchanged.
This group wants Oscar Mabuyane to retain his position as provincial secretary, Helen Sauls- August hers as deputy secretary and Thandiswa Marawu hers as provincial treasurer.
They want the vacant position of deputy chair to be filled by Amathole’s Sakhumzi Somyo.
Only one region was not represented at the Tuesday meeting – Sarah Bartmaan, which includes Port Alfred, Tarkastad, Cradock and Graaff-Reinet.
But the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Sarah Bartman’s regional secretary, Scara Njadayi, was part of Saturday’s meeting that wanted Mabuyane, Sauls-August and Marawu replaced.
Njadayi said: “We were at the Bunkers Hill meeting because every region was invited. And we took part because this is a lobby group whose interest is to unite the ANC in the Eastern Cape.”
The Saturday meeting agreed to lobby branches to support Somyo as deputy chairman, MPL Michael Peter as provincial secretary, PEC member Ten-Ten Pikinini as Peter’s deputy and Zukisa Faku as provincial treasurer.
The meeting was held a day after the BCM ANC regional executive headed by Faku endorsed a decision to retain the current status quo.
The Daily Dispatch can reveal several regional leaders, including Faku, Chris Hani regional secretary Noncedo Zonke, several senior regional leaders from OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi, Alfred Nzo, Nelson Mandela Metro and the ANC Youth League’s top officials, were at the meeting.
This weekend’s developments confirm differences in the pre- Mangaung conference lobby group which successfully endorsed President Jacob Zuma’s second term as the party’s president last December.
Faku and Zonke were key players in the Eastern Cape’s support for Zuma up to Mangaung.
Zonke’s REC was the first to break ranks with Mabuyane when it announced two weeks ago they wanted Peter to contest the secretary position.
She also confirmed yesterday she was part of the Bunkers Hill meeting.
“In fact, regional officials leading seven of the eight regions who want comrade Peter to be the provincial secretary were in that meeting.
“We went there because everyone who was at that meeting is complaining that the ANC in the Eastern Cape is collapsing,” said Zonke.
“There are factions at branch level and in councils, and the secretary’s office is nowhere to be seen.
“Peter, in his two terms as Chris Hani regional secretary, has shown us how branches should be serviced. Were it not for him, the Alfred Nzo, Nelson Mandela Metro and Amathole regional conferences would not have met.”
Faku refused to comment.
Another regional leader, whose region endorsed a second term for Mabuyane, confirmed going to Saturday night’s session but wanted to remain anonymous to avoid being accused of working against a collective decision.
The source defended the decision to oust other provincial leaders, saying: “This has nothing to do with Mangaung. We met as leaders to speak with one voice that things have to change in the Eastern Cape if we are still serious about the ANC.”
Additional PEC members nominated at the Bunkers Hill meeting include MP Lulu Johnson; MPLs Viola Motongana, Noxolo Abraham-Ntantiso and Xola Pakathi; MECs Sicelo Gqobana, Mcebisi Jonas and Pemmy Majodina; former Nelson Mandela Metro mayor Zanoxolo Wayile; his former deputy mayor Nancy Sihlwayi; OR Tambo mayor Dingani Myolwa; Nceba Faku; Ayanda Matiti; Lamla Jiyose; Phumza Dyantyi; Monwabisi Mahlaba; Siyabulela Mbedla; Mziwonke Ndabeni; Litha Mcwabeni and Monde Sondaba. —
Rival ANC faction wants new PEC execs
A new ANC faction met in Bunkers Hill on Saturday night and agreed to support Phumulo Masualle’s second term as provincial ANC chairman – but made it clear it intended contesting the other positions of deputy chairman, treasurer, secretary and deputy secretary.
Earlier in the week, another faction met at an East London beachfront hotel and announced its support for the present leadership to remain unchanged.
This group wants Oscar Mabuyane to retain his position as provincial secretary, Helen Sauls- August hers as deputy secretary and Thandiswa Marawu hers as provincial treasurer.
They want the vacant position of deputy chair to be filled by Amathole’s Sakhumzi Somyo.
Only one region was not represented at the Tuesday meeting – Sarah Bartmaan, which includes Port Alfred, Tarkastad, Cradock and Graaff-Reinet.
But the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Sarah Bartman’s regional secretary, Scara Njadayi, was part of Saturday’s meeting that wanted Mabuyane, Sauls-August and Marawu replaced.
Njadayi said: “We were at the Bunkers Hill meeting because every region was invited. And we took part because this is a lobby group whose interest is to unite the ANC in the Eastern Cape.”
The Saturday meeting agreed to lobby branches to support Somyo as deputy chairman, MPL Michael Peter as provincial secretary, PEC member Ten-Ten Pikinini as Peter’s deputy and Zukisa Faku as provincial treasurer.
The meeting was held a day after the BCM ANC regional executive headed by Faku endorsed a decision to retain the current status quo.
The Daily Dispatch can reveal several regional leaders, including Faku, Chris Hani regional secretary Noncedo Zonke, several senior regional leaders from OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi, Alfred Nzo, Nelson Mandela Metro and the ANC Youth League’s top officials, were at the meeting.
This weekend’s developments confirm differences in the pre- Mangaung conference lobby group which successfully endorsed President Jacob Zuma’s second term as the party’s president last December.
Faku and Zonke were key players in the Eastern Cape’s support for Zuma up to Mangaung.
Zonke’s REC was the first to break ranks with Mabuyane when it announced two weeks ago they wanted Peter to contest the secretary position.
She also confirmed yesterday she was part of the Bunkers Hill meeting.
“In fact, regional officials leading seven of the eight regions who want comrade Peter to be the provincial secretary were in that meeting.
“We went there because everyone who was at that meeting is complaining that the ANC in the Eastern Cape is collapsing,” said Zonke.
“There are factions at branch level and in councils, and the secretary’s office is nowhere to be seen.
“Peter, in his two terms as Chris Hani regional secretary, has shown us how branches should be serviced. Were it not for him, the Alfred Nzo, Nelson Mandela Metro and Amathole regional conferences would not have met.”
Faku refused to comment.
Another regional leader, whose region endorsed a second term for Mabuyane, confirmed going to Saturday night’s session but wanted to remain anonymous to avoid being accused of working against a collective decision.
The source defended the decision to oust other provincial leaders, saying: “This has nothing to do with Mangaung. We met as leaders to speak with one voice that things have to change in the Eastern Cape if we are still serious about the ANC.”
Additional PEC members nominated at the Bunkers Hill meeting include MP Lulu Johnson; MPLs Viola Motongana, Noxolo Abraham-Ntantiso and Xola Pakathi; MECs Sicelo Gqobana, Mcebisi Jonas and Pemmy Majodina; former Nelson Mandela Metro mayor Zanoxolo Wayile; his former deputy mayor Nancy Sihlwayi; OR Tambo mayor Dingani Myolwa; Nceba Faku; Ayanda Matiti; Lamla Jiyose; Phumza Dyantyi; Monwabisi Mahlaba; Siyabulela Mbedla; Mziwonke Ndabeni; Litha Mcwabeni and Monde Sondaba. —
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