MBOMBELA – The ANC’s provincial secretary, Mr Mandla Ndlovu has condemned in the strongest light the barricading of roads and burning state-owned properties by dissatisfied communities over the nominations of municipal candidates or councillors.
Ndlovu addressed the media on Tuesday amid a spate of protests by dissatisfied ANC members, which in turn affected the entire communities, even non party members.
“There is no need for communities or members of the ANC to vent their anger by taking to the streets.
Remember, nomination of candidates is a party issue and therefore there is no need for us to cause trouble for the entire community.
“We are addressing our communities. The problem is sometimes you find that our people are unconsciously unaware that what they are doing is against the law.
They are even infringing on other people’s rights when blocking the roads and destroying property,” lashed out Ndlovu.
“Today I know that the Ehlanzeni Region is convening mass meetings in all the affected communities, where it is going to address them, so that they are able to understand that if they are not happy with the decisions or the outcome of the selection process, which doors they must knock on,” he continued.
“If communities are not happy about the candidate selection processes, they are expected to raise their disputes with the regional list committee.
They are going to be given an opportunity to present their disputes.
“And if they will not be happy with the decision of the committee, they will appeal to the provincial list committee.
Should they not receive joy in our decisions, they will appeal to the next highest structures, the final arbiter being the national appeals committee,” he further explained.
Ndlovu took some time and explained that selection processes start from the party’s branch general meetings.
Recently, disgruntled members in areas such as KaNyamazane, Pienaar, KaBokweni, Barberton and Shweni took to the streets in protest against the nomination processes, a move which angered other community members, especially members of other political organisations.
During the media briefing Ndlovu took swipes at the recently defected members to the EFF saying they had actually done the ANC a huge favour by resigning because they had left the organisation long ago.
“All of them left the ANC a long time ago. They attacked the party more than the enemy of the ANC.
They were destroying it while claiming to be members. Their behaviour was weakening the party.
“The ANC is intact and ready for the local government elections,” he said.
Those who had recently joined the EFF include the former Mbombela Local Municipality mayor, Mr Isaiah Khoza, former Ehlanzeni district mayor, Ms Khosi Mkhonto and
Mr Sipho Monareng of the Save Mpumalanga ANC.
Ndlovu said these former members were all about positions and serving themselves and not the masses.
