Senior ANC officials met with Dr WB Rubusana regional leaders behind closed doors on Monday as plans to reshuffle the troubled Buffalo City Metro Council started in earnest.
The Dispatch understands that the top five in Rubusana, lead by controversial new chair Pumlani Mkolo, were in the ANC’s provincial headquarters, Calata House, on Monday afternoon, where they tabled a report on the portfolio heads they want removed.
Among those present at the meeting were ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi and the treasurer, Babalo Madikizela.
Rubusana regional secretary Antonio Carlisle confirmed yesterday’s meeting, but said only Ngcukayitobi was empowered to comment.
In the firing line are several senior councillors including mayor Xola Pakati, chief whip Mzwandile Vaaiboom and community services portfolio head Helen Neale-May.
It is also believed that some want engineering services head Ncedo Kumbaca and special programmes head Xolani Witbooi axed.
But BCM residents will have to wait a little longer before the ruling party announces who it will fire, as Pakati left for Sweden on Saturday.
He is expected back in town this weekend.
BCM spokesman Sam Ngwenya said Pakti’s trip to Galve was to celebrate a 16-year partnership between the two cities.
The discussions on the BCM council reshuffle come on the heels of the ANC NEC’s go-ahead to the national appeals committee, led by deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte, to return to Buffalo City Metro to listen to more complaints regarding the ANC regional conference that elected Mkolo last month.
The Dispatch reported on Tuesday that Duarte’s report so far wanted the entire regional executive committee disbanded and replaced with a task team.
This was after the committee found gross irregularities in the credentials report.
These included the involvement of ward 1 in the conference despite the fact that it did not qualify to take part in the conference.
The Dispatch has also reported that the NEC wants Mkolo to resign as regional chair.
His membership was suspended in February 2016 following allegations related to the Nelson Mandela memorial funds scandal of 2013.
Ngcukayitobi said his office had yet to receive a letter informing them about either the REC or Mkolo.
“And so until we receive a written instruction about NEC decisions, we are not aware of that.
“I can safely comment on PEC-related decisions in that we are busy consulting the Rubusana regional executive as well as the BCM mayor to get submissions on what changes they would like to see in the BCM council.
“Once we deal with that consultation process, we will be ready to communicate our decision with the media.”..