Bay SACP warns ANC against mayoral committee reshuffle

The SA Communist Party in Nelson Mandela Bay has vowed to suspend all its alliance meetings with the ANC, saying the party did not consult its alliance partners on plans to reshuffle the mayoral committee.

It comes after the ANC's Bay regional co-ordinator Babalwa Lobishe this week told HeraldLIVE that the local party leaders planned to bring in fresh new mayoral committee members into the council.

In a statement, the SACP Mbuyiselo Ngwenda District labelled the move as disrespectful.

"The SACP [Mbuyiselo Ngwenda District] condemns the political meddling by the regional task team of the ANC in the affairs of the municipality," a statement by district spokesperson Lazola Pukwana said.

"We view this political gimmick as an attempt to get access to the resources of the municipality and nothing else.

"In the past we have pleaded with this task team to focus on its primary mandate, which is to build the structures of the ANC in the region and not to involve themselves with the local government issues.

"They have been behaving like a constitutionally elected structure since they were appointed," it said.  

Pukwana said they have continuously "implored" the ANC regional task team to respect the existing alliance structures.

"As expected, they did not consult the alliance partners on this so-called reshuffle wish.

"The SACP want to warn the task team to stop with its arrogance and engage its partners, as this is a matter that needs need sober minds and proper engagements.

"We want to remind them that all the alliance partners were on the ground campaigning and therefore they cannot be side-lined when these decisions are to be taken.

"We reiterate our stance that they will not get into the council through the back door."