The fate of the newly-elected Dr WB Rubusana regional executive is now in the hands of the national appeals committee.
The committee, led by ANC national executive committee members Zoleka Caqa and Dakota Legoete, in a two-day visit to the region, listened to submissions by complainants from 13 ANC branches in Rubusana. Some of them wanted confirmation that Pumlani Mkolo, the newly-elected regional chairperson, was elected in a properly constituted meeting.
Others want the region disbanded.
The Daily Dispatch can reveal today however, that the view Mkolo remains at the helm has been dealt a heavy blow after Capa announced that Ward 1, which sent four delegates to the conference, should not have participated in the elective meeting because its branch leaders were elected fraudulently.
The ruling which went in favour of the legitimate secretary, Luacs Loate, states that the Koko Qebeyi led-BEC was illegitimate. “This is long overdue. This is the battle I have been fighting for for the past nine months. I’m glad I’m vindicated,” added Loate.
The Daily Dispatch can also reveal that Ward 21 in NU12/-13 in Mdantsane, which was not represented at the conference, should have participated.
Ward 21 branch deputy secretary Simphiwe Sinyabi said four of its delegates were confined outside the conference venue because an attendance register of the branch meeting which elected delegates to the conference went missing.
“But a missing register does not in any way justify the reason to exclude Ward 21,” said Sinyabi.
“Comrade Capa ruled in our favour and declared that we were supposed to be part of the conference.
“The question is, who else was left out and who did not qualify but took part in the conference? That is why as a leader in my branch my view is that the Rubusana conference outcomes should be nullified,” he added.
The numbers have far-reaching implications as the elections were closely contested, except for the chairman position which Mkolo won by 120 votes against Xola Pakati’s 107.
“What complicated issues at that conference was the foreign tendency of allowing disputes to be handled parallel to the conference, and that is why it is difficult to explain why the adopted number of delegates was 223 but 229 people voted.”
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the national appeals committee will have to cobble this into a report and make recommendations and inform the provincial executive committee...