The ANC’s Eastern Cape head, Oscar Mabuyane, has lashed out at party secretary-general Ace Magashule for trying to overturn its decision to disband the Nelson Mandela Bay regional leadership.
On Thursday last week, Magashule wrote to all provincial secretaries, saying PECs should desist from disbanding regional structures.
The letter states: “The dissolution of regional structures at this time detracts from the unity project that the organisation set for itself and could lead to more division.
“Provinces are directed to desist from dissolving regional structures and to reinstal those structures that have been dissolved in recent weeks.”
But Mabuyane was adamant only the national executive committee could overturn their decision. The matter is set to be discussed at a special NEC meeting on Saturday.
“The letter is generic. We believe that the letter is a reaction to the decision of the NEC to dissolve Nelson Mandela Bay [REC],” Mabuyane said.
“The PEC has dissolved Nelson Mandela Bay constitutionally and legitimately so, using its powers having assessed that region for the whole year now.”
Mabuyane said the ANC in the Bay had been given several opportunities to turn the tide, with no success.
“We have given the REC instructions to do certain things, having observed elections work and the drop in membership, and their failure to meet the 70% threshold for four consecutive audits signed by Magashule himself are clear indications that the party has engaged the REC to correct itself,” Mabuyane said.
“The PEC stands with that decision and the SG of the ANC should know the process of the ANC when a decision of that nature has been taken.
“He is not a structure, he is an individual in that office and if there is dispute there is a dispute mechanism that should be followed,” Mabuyane said.
“He cannot just sit there alone and change the structural constitutional decision of any structure in the ANC.
“It is unprecedented and has never happened.
“The REC is effectively disbanded by the PEC and the PEC is still finalising the matter around the [members of the RTT [regional task team],” Mabuyane said.
Meanwhile, branches of the ANC in the Bay will be heading to Luthuli House on Friday as they refuse to accept a decision to dissolve the regional body.
After the ANC’s Eastern Cape secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, called a meeting of branch leaders for Thursday to announce the new regional task team, a large group of defiant branches packed the Gelvandale Stadium, saying they would never accept the move.
The meeting called by Ngcukayitobi was cancelled.
Branch leaders felt emboldened by Magashule’s letter.
Bay secretary Themba Xathula said the PEC had a vendetta against them because they had leadership preferences for the region.
“There is no confusion, we are the REC here and we will remain the REC,” he said.
“Now the provincial secretary [Ngcukayitobi] is running away and he is blocking us from going to Johannesburg to meet with the SG [Magashule] but we will find our own way to go to Johannesburg.”
Meanwhile, ANC councillor Andile Lungisa said the party would launch its election campaign at the Gelvandale stadium next Saturday.
It would also officially welcome DA councillors from the northern areas who had turned against the party by attending a council meeting when the rest of the DA stayed away last month.
Lungisa said they would ask President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the situation in the metro.
He asked why the letter had only surfaced on social media a week after it had been sent to Ngcukayitobi.
“This proves that there are comrades who don’t know the inner workings of the party.
“How can the work of the REC be measured on membership when this REC made sure that Sasco regains control of NMU?
“Why are we only seeing this letter today when it was written on October 25? This letter should have been circulated to lower structures.”
Attempts to reach Magashule and ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe were unsuccessful.