Uncertain outcomes for ANC

The ANC’s historical support in Buffalo City Metro wards, including one in which a convicted bank robber is a candidate, will be challenged in the upcoming local government elections.

The hotly contested wards include ward 1 in Duncan Village, ward 16 in Amalinda, ward 47 in Zwelitsha; ward 15 in Nompumelelo as well as wards 17 and 20, both in Mdantsane.

These are all wards in which candidates fielded by the ruling party are seen as not so popular among voters – leading to the fielding of independent candidates by disgruntled ANC supporters.

The lobbying against the ruling party is so intense in ward 16 that meetings to discuss a coalition between an independent candidate and an Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) candidate have been held.

This is the ward currently being led by ANC’s Monwabisi Mahodi. But Mahodi did not make it as an ANC candidate for the August election.

In ward 1 Duncan Village, former councillor, Koko Qebeyi, was nominated as a popular candidate in his branch but the ANC replaced him with Kuhle Ciliza.

It is understood that while Qebeyi will not contest as an independent, his supporters are planning to vote against the ANC.

BCM’s ward 20 in Mdantsane is also one of the most highly contested in the province with eight parties, including an independent from the ANC, competing for control.

It is where Mkhuseli Nombewu – a former Umkhonto weSizwe soldier and convicted bank robber – comes from.

The Dispatch reported last month that Nombewu had made it into the Dr WB Rubusana list at number five on the proportional representatives (PR) list.

Nombewu, who said he had received a presidential pardon which cleared his way to contest for public office, is not the ward candidate for ward 20 as he features on the PR list.

In the ward, outgoing councillor Sizinzo Madikane has been replaced by Ntombizodwa Gamnca as ANC’s candidate while ANC veteran in the same ward, Nopinki Chiliwe, will challenge Gamnca as an independent candidate – a contest which is expected to deeply divide the ANC vote in the ward.

Yesterday Chiliwe said it was painful as a ANC veteran to contest against the ANC, but said the ANC was not the same as they used to know.

“The ANC today is corrupt, they forge membership forms and allow people that are widely known to have criminal records to be part of the list of PR councillors.

“Nombewu will now serve as one of the senior councillors even though everyone knows that he is a convicted criminal,” she said.

The EFF, which has appealed to younger voters, are also fielding Viwe Mande, a former ANC activist, in ward 20.

Other candidates for the ward are Nosisa Klaas of the United Congress; Athenkosi Mazengela of the United Front; DA’s Luvuyo Goniwe as well as Mzwakhe Luhadi of ACDP.

The PAC, which joined the race last week following a High Court ruling in its favour allowing it to contest these election, is also fielding Nceba Bontsi as its candidate, while COPE has Ayanda Kashe as its preferred candidate.

ANC veteran Joe Jordan said the situation in wards with an independent was tense and needed the ANC leadership to address the communities.

“These are all ANC loyal members who got angry when they realised that the guidelines to respect the choice of the people chosen during public meetings has been ignored.

“This has far-reaching implications for the ANC PR margin in the next council,” said Jordan.