ANC suspends Lungisa over brawl conviction

Eastern Cape ANC heavyweight Andile Lungisa has been recalled as a councillor, his party membership suspended and he has been forbidden from addressing or attending party events because of his 2018 assault conviction.

Lungisa was handed his suspension letter on Tuesday, at the Port Elizabeth International Airport, by ANC regional task team co-ordinator Luyolo Nqakula.

In the letter, ANC Eastern Cape secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi told Lungisa he had until September 10 to resign as a councillor.

He said the decision to recall Lungisa as a councillor and a branch task team member of ward 2 came from the party’s provincial executive committee.

Ngcukayitobi also gave Lungisa strict instructions to stay away from the party, pending his appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).

The SCA in Bloemfontein is still considering Lungisa’s appeal against his effective two-year sentence for assaulting DA councillor Rano Kayser during a heated council brawl in 2016.

It is not clear when a decision will be made.

“You are not allowed to speak, act, or represent the ANC in any capacity. You are not allowed to attend any meeting or activity of the ANC.

“You are not allowed to speak and act or purport to be speaking for and on behalf of the ANC in any capacity.

“You are, therefore, during the period of your suspension, not a public representative of the ANC in any institution or area of deployment.

“The ANC will await the outcome of that process,” Ngcukayitobi said.

Nqakula, in a letter sent to Lungisa and Ngcukayitobi two weeks ago, also requested that he step aside as a councillor.

Lungisa was also forced to step down as a member of the Bay mayoral committee when he was hauled before the party’s disciplinary committee four weeks ago.

When contacted, Lungisa said he had not been suspended but merely given a letter similar to the one written by Nqakula.

“It is exactly the same letter. They realised Nqakula wrote the letter and that it was wrong. They are trying to follow the correct process now.”

He said the only difference with the latest letter was that it had the signature of Ngcukayitobi.

Lungisa said his response to all the letters remained the same.

“I will follow the internal processes of the ANC. It comes from the province so I will write to national to appeal any such decision.”

Days before the NEC meeting in Durban in August, Lungisa wrote to the NEC asking the party to deal with the matter of Ramaphosa’s CR17 campaign funds.

On social media, he has also been vocal about alleged corruption, which he say is rampant at provincial and national levels.

While Ngcukayitobi could not be reached for comment, ANC provincial spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela confirmed Lungisa’s suspension.

This was in line with the national executive committee’s resolution that anyone with a conviction should resign.