Eastern Cape ANC bosses have instructed Buffalo City Metro leaders to add all the five top leaders who contested against the Pumlani Mkolo-led executive to the regional structure.
This was one of the recommendations, meant to enforce unity in its deeply divided Dr WB Rubusana region, made by the ANC’s national disputes resolution committee (NDRC) after several branches challenged the outcome of the tightly contested regional elective conference in 2017.
Mkolo beat BCM mayor Xola Pakati for the regional chairmanship with 120 against 107 votes.
The most hotly contested position was that of regional treasurer, which saw Malizo Puthi pipping Princess Faku at the post with a difference of three votes.
Several branches registered disputes and as a result, the NDC found that some branches, which were supposed to form part of the conference, were left out while other delegates who were not supposed to attend were included in the credentials.
The committee ruled that the executive remained in office, but Mkolo, who faces charges of swindling millions of rands earmarked for the late Nelson Mandela’s memorial services, take leave of absence until the case is resolved in court.
The committee also instructed the now Mawethu Marata-led executive to co-opt all the top five “losers” into the executive.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi confirmed the decision, which was communicated to the region on Monday, saying the NDRC decision would see Sindile Toni, who was beaten by Marata for the deputy chair position, and Faku being co-opted as full time REC members. This means they will have full participatory and voting powers while Pakati, Crosby Kolela and Mthetheleli Sam, who also failed to secure the deputy secretary position, will be invited to all REC meetings until the end of the current term of office.
“The issue of co-opting these leaders has been the only outstanding issue in [the] Rubusana region, as per disputes resolutions recommendations and so we had to implement it because no one can contest a decision of such a higher structure.
“But most importantly, this will help in uniting the region because for far too long we had leaders who were operating in corners while there was a decision to co-opt them into decision-making in that region.
“We are very positive that going forward, Rubusana will now work in unison because the mayor will now be a permanent invitee to all regional working committee meetings (RWC),” said Ngcukayitobi.
RWCs are implementing agents of the REC, and so drive the party’s programmes at regional level.
ANC regional secretary Antonio Carels confirmed on Wednesday that he sent e-mails to the five on Tuesday, informing them about the PEC decision...