President Jacob Zuma, ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize and the party’s deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte will be in East London this weekend to take part in the provincial alliance summit.
The two-day summit in East London from Sunday will see Zuma tabling his political report on the state of the alliance.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said about 200 people were expected to attend, including all provincial executive committee (PEC) members of theSACP, Cosatu and the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco).
The gathering is a follow-up to a summit held by the alliance partners in Pretoria last June.
Last year’s summit, which was closed to the media, covered several sore points facing the alliance including organisational weaknesses driven by factionalism, corruption and self-enrichment among members.
In the Eastern Cape, the SACP’s Buffalo City region shocked many earlier this year when it announced it would not be campaigning for the ANC towards the upcoming local government elections.
They complained of being left out of the nomination process for councillors.
Mabuyane said all partners would be afforded time to speak on any issue they would like addressed at the meeting “in order to iron out any differences”.
“What we are all positive about is that at national level, the alliance is speaking with one voice that all partners are fully behind the ANC for these local elections.
“The provincial and local structures are not federal, and so they will have to take tune from the national structures,” said Mabuyane.
Tensions boiled over three years ago when the ANC PEC resolved to fire then Nelson Mandela Bay Metro mayor Zamuxolo Wayile, a SACP leader.
The Mbuyiselo Ngwende SACP region spoke openly about the lack of consultation when Wayile was shown the door in March 2013, saying party members were being victimised.
The entire SAPC leadership in the province also marched to express its disappointment that the ANC PEC had not suspended those who were implicated in the Nelson Mandela memorial scandal in the Buffalo City Metro (BCM).
They were referring to former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, her co-accused former deputy mayor Themba Tinta, former council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele, councillor Sindiswa Gomba and now suspended ANC regional secretary Phumlani Mkolo.
They were all arrested for the alleged mismanagement of the R5.9-million meant for Mandela memorial services. All have been redeployed, demoted or suspended.
Mabuyane said: “We are going to this summit to find each other and iron out any differences. We are not saying there are no challenges, but this is a platform to deal with those issues once and for all.”
He said the summits will also cascade down to district or regional level.
“One thing for sure, the ANC cannot deliver on its mandate without the support and involvement of our alliance partners.
“We value their contribution. It is for the very same reason that as a province we feel honoured that the national executive committee deployed the president, TG and DSG to come and be part of this important gathering,” said Mabuyane.
Zuma to attend EL summit
The two-day summit in East London from Sunday will see Zuma tabling his political report on the state of the alliance.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane said about 200 people were expected to attend, including all provincial executive committee (PEC) members of theSACP, Cosatu and the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco).
The gathering is a follow-up to a summit held by the alliance partners in Pretoria last June.
Last year’s summit, which was closed to the media, covered several sore points facing the alliance including organisational weaknesses driven by factionalism, corruption and self-enrichment among members.
In the Eastern Cape, the SACP’s Buffalo City region shocked many earlier this year when it announced it would not be campaigning for the ANC towards the upcoming local government elections.
They complained of being left out of the nomination process for councillors.
Mabuyane said all partners would be afforded time to speak on any issue they would like addressed at the meeting “in order to iron out any differences”.
“What we are all positive about is that at national level, the alliance is speaking with one voice that all partners are fully behind the ANC for these local elections.
“The provincial and local structures are not federal, and so they will have to take tune from the national structures,” said Mabuyane.
Tensions boiled over three years ago when the ANC PEC resolved to fire then Nelson Mandela Bay Metro mayor Zamuxolo Wayile, a SACP leader.
The Mbuyiselo Ngwende SACP region spoke openly about the lack of consultation when Wayile was shown the door in March 2013, saying party members were being victimised.
The entire SAPC leadership in the province also marched to express its disappointment that the ANC PEC had not suspended those who were implicated in the Nelson Mandela memorial scandal in the Buffalo City Metro (BCM).
They were referring to former BCM mayor Zukiswa Ncitha, her co-accused former deputy mayor Themba Tinta, former council speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele, councillor Sindiswa Gomba and now suspended ANC regional secretary Phumlani Mkolo.
They were all arrested for the alleged mismanagement of the R5.9-million meant for Mandela memorial services. All have been redeployed, demoted or suspended.
Mabuyane said: “We are going to this summit to find each other and iron out any differences. We are not saying there are no challenges, but this is a platform to deal with those issues once and for all.”
He said the summits will also cascade down to district or regional level.
“One thing for sure, the ANC cannot deliver on its mandate without the support and involvement of our alliance partners.
“We value their contribution. It is for the very same reason that as a province we feel honoured that the national executive committee deployed the president, TG and DSG to come and be part of this important gathering,” said Mabuyane.
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