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Eastern Cape ANC disbands leadership of Amathole Region

Eastern Cape ANC disbands leadership of Amathole Region
The ANC in the Eastern Cape on Monday disbanded the Regional Executive Committee of the Amathole Region for ‘defying’ the party’s provincial leadership directives and failing ‘to save itself from itself’.

The ANC’s Eastern Cape secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, on Monday announced that the Amathole regional leadership had been disbanded due to its inability to implement the programme of the ANC and that structures in the region had collapsed. 

“They have been defying the instructions of the upper structures of the party,” he said. “As things stand, there were only three officials and those officials were not working together. The structure is in a position of paralysis. Some of the members of the REC [Regional Executive Committee] resigned.”  

He said 70% of the branches that had been consulted in Amathole were in agreement with the decision to disband the leadership of the region. 

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“The Provincial Executive Committee felt that there is nothing that can be done about the Regional Executive Committee of Amathole; it cannot save itself from itself.”

The disbandment means that a task team will now lead the Amathole Region.

The region did not support the current Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) during the provincial conference where deputy president hopeful Oscar Mabuyane was elected as chairperson.

Amathole will have 100 delegates at the ANC’s national elective conference. Spokesperson Thabo Matiwane said they would support National Executive Committee (NEC) member Phumulo Masualle.

In a statement, the Amathole Region said the disbandment of the REC was orchestrated by the PEC.

“The trigger for the acceleration towards the dissolution was informed by the recent verdict from the NDCA [National Disciplinary Committee of Appeal] suspending, amongst others, the deputy secretary of the region in which the PEC was an appellant,” reads the statement.

Support for Ramaphosa


Ngcukayitobi said the PEC supported Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term and fully backs Mabuyane for the position of deputy president. He added that there was also a resolution that Gwede Mantashe had to be supported. Mantashe is vying for the national chairperson position.

 

The other three positions of the top six were not announced. Ngcukayitobi explained that the others nominated did not pass the 50+1 mark and that there would be discussions with other provinces on whom to support.

It has emerged that there were discussions to meet with Mpumalanga to discuss the possibilities of supporting the same people for the top six.

“What is at the centre of our discussion is how to put the ANC on a better trajectory and pedestal. What we have been delegated by the branches is to talk about these names, which are three. 

“It’s an open discussion, but at the centre is how best we make sure that the ANC becomes a better organisation.”

He also announced that treasurer-general hopeful Andile Lungisa remained suspended. DM