New ANC chair in Sarah Baartman
The new chair of the ANC in the Sarah Baartman region is former secretary Scara Njadayi, who was elected unopposed at the region’s elective conference in Port Alfred on Thursday.
Factionalism and poor governance within the ANC were at the top of the agenda on the first day of the conference.
The Port Alfred town hall was filled to capacity with conference delegates and guests.
The voting delegates on Thursday night cast their votes for a new regional executive committee. The final results will be revealed on Friday.
The nominations were:
● Scara Njadayi – Chair, uncontested
● Yandiswa Vara – Secretary, uncontested
● Nonkqubela Pieters – Treasurer, uncontested
● Deputy chair – Contested between Deon de Vos and Mabuti Matyumza
● Regional secretary – Contested between Johannes Hobbs and Malibongwe Dayimani.
ANC provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane was expected to address the conference but delegated his duties to his deputy and former Sarah Baartman regional chair Mlungisi Mvoko, who said the party faced challenges of divisions, factionalism and mutating factionalism.
Mvoko said if the ANC did not take gender-based violence more seriously, more women would be killed and more girls raped.
“It’s time the ANC stands up against gender-based violence. We can’t leave it up to the Women’s League,” he said.
“In the townships we stay in, we are silent when it happens and act surprised when a girl living down the road is killed by her boyfriend.”
He said the leadership of the ANC was dividing members.
“What leaders of the ANC do and what they say are two completely different things. Our actions are in conflict with what we say,” Mvoko said.
He also spoke on corruption and said it no longer sat with politicians, but that officials from the government and municipalities were colluding with politicians.
The conference was meant to start at midday, but was delayed by almost two hours while delegates sorted out their tags and registration.
Eventually when they got inside, the mood was jovial as people sang struggle songs.
The conference also discussed land expropriation without compensation.
Sarah Baartman acting chair Phindile Faxi said his region was fully behind amending Section 25 of the constitution.
Faxi said following the ANC national conference at Nasrec in December, he had seen renewed confidence in the ANC.
“People in SA are beginning to regain the trust they lost in the ANC,” Faxi said.
He said during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address he had given them a clear mandate with his “Thuma Mina” campaign, but they were not fulfilling it.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
FREE TO READ | Just register if you’re new, or sign in.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@heraldlive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00.