The ANC in the Sarah Baartman region is facing a problem of factions so divided that its councillors are recording and subsequently leaking important party information to the opposition.
This came to light at the Sarah Baartman regional conference in Port Alfred on Thursday where former regional secretary Scara Njadayi was elected chair.
Other challenges facing the region are that municipalities run by the ANC are struggling to spend grant funding, supply chain committees are not meeting and committee members are leaking information to service providers.
These problems ultimately lead to disputes and stifle service delivery, it was said at the meeting.
The Sundays River Valley municipality is one of the beneficiaries of the small town revitalisation funding from the office of the premier.
According to the report, the funding it received enabled the municipality to fix ailing infrastructure.
Njadayi said on Friday as the new chair he faced the daunting task of uniting the region, particularly after the tumultuous Eastern Cape elective conference last year where members physically assaulted one another.
He said the ANC should work towards winning the 2019 general elections with a wide majority.
“We must see to it that municipalities and government are effective and basic services reach our people.
“We must build the membership and contribute immensely to the alliance and we will put all our endeavours into growing the economy of the region. The region fully supports the expropriation of land without compensation,” Njadayi said.
The new chair said the region would assist in reviving the ANC Youth League and Women’s League.
Dr Beyers Naude mayor Deon de Vos was elected deputy chairman, Nonkqubela Pieters treasurer, Johannes Hobbs secretary and Yandiswa Vara deputy secretary.
ANC provincial spokesman Gift Ngqondi welcomed the outcome of the Sarah Baartman regional conference and said the new executive was expected to provide leadership to unite and continue to build a formidable and effective ANC.