Mantashe under fire over Eastern Cape ANC conference report

The office of African National Congress secretary-general Gwede Mantashe reportedly came under “very harsh criticism” for tabling a report on the disputed Eastern Cape ANC conference last month, which apparently lacked detail.

The Sowetan reports that this happened during the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend in the Pretoria suburb of Irene.

According to sources the paper spoke to, the governing party’s national working committee (NWC) was locked in a meeting yesterday after they demanded to know why their report on a visit to the Eastern Cape regions was not presented by Mantashe to the NEC meeting.

“In fact, our view was that the report was very similar to the report the NEC got from the newly elected Eastern Cape PEC [provincial executive committee]. The only difference was the conclusion. We had to reject the report and ask the NWC to sit again on Sunday and redo the report,” said an NEC member who attended the meeting.

The disputed Eastern Cape ANC conference, held in East London, saw former provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane beat Premier Phumulo Masualle for the provincial chairman position. The congress was notoriously marred by violence, with divisions within the party laid bare.

Mabuyane is understood to back Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign to lead the ANC at its national conference next month in Johannesburg, while Masualle’s supporters are said to support Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

Mantashe’s report reportedly had recommended that a team outside the NEC be established to investigate complaints over the conference and report back to the NEC. However, the NWC was instructed to meet yesterday and draft a new report.

The report was expected to be debated by the NEC yesterday, where a decision would have been taken by the ANC’s top structure on whether to disband the Eastern Cape leadership or not.

The NEC meeting continues today.

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