President Jacob Zuma will lead a high-powered ANC delegation to Nelson Mandela Bay Metro on Monday in an effort to solve ongoing “troubles” in the party in the region.
It will be the fourth visit to the region by ANC top brass since the beginning of the year.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane described the region as the “hottest” of hot spots in the party.
This follows the humiliating loss the party suffered to an independent candidate in a by-election in Uitenhage’s Ward 42 last month.
The ward council position became vacant when Andile Gqabi was expelled from the ANC in August.
Gqabi, a former National Union of Metal Workers Union of South Africa (Numsa) leader, then contested as an independent and won more than 60% of the vote against the ANC’s 36%.
“We have taken a decision to pay much more attention to and reach out to the structures of the ANC on the ground,” said Mabuyane.
“The 2016 local government elections are on our doorstep. We can’t rest on our laurels any more. The challenges of the region are haunting us. We have to get to the bottom of these problems.”
Zuma first visited the metro this year in April on an official presidential visit leading a delegation of 10 ministers. The visit saw him praising the ANC for “its good story” told around the May elections.
But it seems the “good stories” fell on deaf ears in the region, which is the heartbeat of Numsa. The union has thousands of members at Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage plant and at General Motors South Africa.
The union was expelled as an affiliate of Cosatu – an ANC alliance partner – last month and soon after launched its United Front (UF) structure.
Although the UF’s founders claim it is not a political organisation, there are no guarantees it won’t contest the 2016 local government elections.
Former NMM mayor Zamuxolo Wayile is a full-time employee of Numsa and is based in Port Elizabeth.
Mabuyane said the ANC was concerned that their membership was dwindling in Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas.
“Figures show that the ANC has 200 members in a ward with more than 10000 people. We are trying to revive our structures so that they understand the role of the ANC in society,” said Mabuyane. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
Zuma turns his focus on metro
It will be the fourth visit to the region by ANC top brass since the beginning of the year.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane described the region as the “hottest” of hot spots in the party.
This follows the humiliating loss the party suffered to an independent candidate in a by-election in Uitenhage’s Ward 42 last month.
The ward council position became vacant when Andile Gqabi was expelled from the ANC in August.
Gqabi, a former National Union of Metal Workers Union of South Africa (Numsa) leader, then contested as an independent and won more than 60% of the vote against the ANC’s 36%.
“We have taken a decision to pay much more attention to and reach out to the structures of the ANC on the ground,” said Mabuyane.
“The 2016 local government elections are on our doorstep. We can’t rest on our laurels any more. The challenges of the region are haunting us. We have to get to the bottom of these problems.”
Zuma first visited the metro this year in April on an official presidential visit leading a delegation of 10 ministers. The visit saw him praising the ANC for “its good story” told around the May elections.
But it seems the “good stories” fell on deaf ears in the region, which is the heartbeat of Numsa. The union has thousands of members at Volkswagen South Africa’s Uitenhage plant and at General Motors South Africa.
The union was expelled as an affiliate of Cosatu – an ANC alliance partner – last month and soon after launched its United Front (UF) structure.
Although the UF’s founders claim it is not a political organisation, there are no guarantees it won’t contest the 2016 local government elections.
Former NMM mayor Zamuxolo Wayile is a full-time employee of Numsa and is based in Port Elizabeth.
Mabuyane said the ANC was concerned that their membership was dwindling in Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas.
“Figures show that the ANC has 200 members in a ward with more than 10000 people. We are trying to revive our structures so that they understand the role of the ANC in society,” said Mabuyane. — zineg@dispatch.co.za
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