Brian Molefe is a member of the Irene branch, ANC in Tshwane confirms

Former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe is an ANC branch member in Irene, the party in Tshwane reportedly confirmed on Tuesday.

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Business Day reports that ANC Tshwane secretary Paul Mojapelo confirmed that Molefe was a member in good standing of the Irene branch, not a member of the ANC Hartbeespoort branch, in the North West.

The latest development in the controversy surrounding Molefe’s deployment to Parliament by the governing party in the North West after revising its provincial lists has raised questions about the party leadership’s claim that he is a member of Ward 29 in the Madibeng Local Municipality.

It further raises questions about the process followed by the ANC to select Molefe.

EWN reported at the weekend that Bethuel Mmutle – who the provincial party says is the legitimate chairperson of the branch – said the Molefe was a member in good standing.

“I can confirm that he’s a member of Ward 29. He’s been a member of Ward 29 from 2011,” Mmutle said at the time.

However, Abdullah Milanzi, who claimed to be the chairperson of the branch, denied Molefe belonged to the Hartbeespoort branch.

“Mr. Molefe was never a member of our branch actually,” he said.

Molefe is a member in good standing, says Madibeng branch

At a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon to clarify issues around Molefe’s membership, the ANC’s Hartbeespoort branch once again defended its decision to nominate the former Eskom CEO to fill a vacancy in the National Assembly.

“Lieutenant Brain Molefe is a member in good standing at Oom Gov Mbeki branch in Hartbeespoort Dam in the Madibeng sub-region. We are privilege to have one of our [own] from the deep rural farming community representing us in the national parliament. We fully support him,” said branch chairperson Bethuel Mmutle.

“The move has put our branch on the political map by allowing this branch with an opportunity to make available and contribute skills, knowledge and abundance of political wealth in comrade Brian Molefe towards the socio-economic transformation of our country.”

They produced Molefe’s paid members application form from 2011 up to 2015 as evidence that he had been a member in ward 29 Madibeng.

Mmutle said they would not allow anarchy tendencies and acts of ill-discipline displayed by certain members or individuals who deliberately seek to erode their branch’s constitutional right.

ANC Youth League provincial executive member in North West Papi Ratela said the youth league in the province supported Molefe to go to parliament.

“We support Brian Molefe 100 percent, he must go to parliament.”

Convener of the ANC in Madibeng sub-region John Chawe said the branch and the sub-region were consulted about the move to elevate Molefe.

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“We were consulted, we fully support the branch on the nomination of Brian Molefe to go to parliament. We hear people from Mahikeng and Klerksdorp speaking on things they do not know.”

Mmutle denied that there was a parallel structure of the ANC in Ward 29.

He said Christina Malulu was the branch secretary up to 2012 and contested the local elections as a candidate for the Forum 4 Service Delivery, as such expelled herself from the ANC and could not speak on matters of the ruling party.

Ratela declined to reveal on how far Molefe’s name was on the ANC list to parliament in 2014, saying it was an internal matter of the ANC.

He further challenge the ANC in Gauteng to come with evidence that Molefe was a member at one of their branches in Pretoria. He was reported to have voted in Irene east of Pretoria during the municipal election in August last year.

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