ANC NEC musical chairs sees Cyril Xaba step up for NDRC, Ronald Lamola deployed to legal affairs sub-committee

22 Sep 2023

The ANC has decided to tweak its National Executive Committee subcommittee structures following Mdu Manana’s decision to recuse himself as the Chairperson of the National Dispute Resolution Committee, to focus on the arduous task of being the party’s head of organising and membership.

The move by Mdu Manana to no longer serve as the chair of the Chairperson of the National Dispute Resolution Committee (NDRC) will see ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Cyril Xaba filling the position with Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga as his deputy.

This means that Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola will be deployed to chair the NEC Sub-committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs replacing Cyril Xaba.

These changes were recommended by the ANC’s National Working Committee (NWC) and ratified by the Virtual Special NEC sitting on Thursday evening.

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According to an NWC document seen by Daily Maverick Manana is said to have indicated that the process of rebuilding the party’s structures as well as its leagues to demand a great deal of his time and attention.

“The NWC received a report from the National Officials that comrade Mdu Manana, Chairperson of the National Dispute Resolution Committee (NDRC), had written to the Secretary-General [Fikile Mbalula] requesting that he be recused as NDRC Chairperson following his appointment as Head of Organising & Membership.

“He [Manana] is mindful of the fact that the 2024 Candidate Selection process is already underway and the NDRC might be required to hear disputes. Rule 24.3 of the ANC Constitution provides that the NEC shall appoint a National Dispute Resolution Committee with the composition and powers as set out in Appendix 4,” it reads.

The NDRC is responsible for solving issues concerning any branch, sub-region, region or zonal structure which is aggrieved or directly affected by the functioning of the ANC.

“The NDRC shall make its best endeavours to resolve the dispute. At the conclusion of the hearing the NDRC shall file a written report with the Secretary-General,” this is according to the subcommittee set out in Appendix 4 of the party’s Constitution.

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Manana was appointed as the head of organising following the party’s 55th National Conference last December where he was voted in as an NEC member.

The position which is full-time at Luthuli House was previously held by ANC first deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane.

Process of nominating MPs and MPLs extended

The ANC NEC also decided to grant its branches an extension to nominate candidates for their provincial and national parliamentary lists. This comes as only 46% of the branches have completed the process this far.

The deadline has been revised for the completion of the nomination of provincial and national candidates to 15 October 2023.

According to the ANC NWC document, the deadline was set for Monday but after receiving the audit report Mbalula suggested that an extension be granted to branches. The party needs at least 70% of branch meetings to be completed for the process to go ahead.

The national officials wanted to give branches until the end of October, however, the Electoral Committee highlighted that extending the deadline to 30 October 2023 will place undue pressure on the proposed candidate selection timetable and its various processes. The committee also felt that it would have an adverse effect on preparations for the ANC elections campaign.

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“On 21 September 2023 the Electoral Committee wrote to the Secretary-General proposing the deadline for nomination BGMs be extended to Sunday, 15 October 2023 and further proposed a revised timeframe with consequential amendments.

“That the NEC mandates the NWC to monitor progress with the candidate selection process and to make submissions to the Electoral Committee for further recommendations to the NEC, if necessary,” it reads.

The nomination of candidates for lists is a highly contested space in the ANC as there are limited seats and with the ANC’s predicted decline at the 2024 polls, it could mean that even fewer seats will be available.

After nominations and further consolidation of lists, 200 ANC candidates will be selected for Parliament. Each province is expected to have between 5 to 50 candidates.

Each province is expected to submit ANC lists of a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 80 candidates for legislatures.

The ANC Constitution states that the ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa will be the ANC’s candidate for the President of the country. DM

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Process of nominating MPs and MPLs extended