ANC asked to probe Eastern Cape region after alleged election manipulation

The Buffalo City-based ANC Dr WB Rubusana region in the Eastern Cape has approached Luthuli House to intervene in alleged manipulation of branch leadership elections.

The newly converted region’s task team was concerned about “theft of branch general meeting outcomes”, allegedly by some provincial deployees sent to conduct the elective meetings. The processes were allegedly manipulated to favour a certain faction.

Last Thursday, an irate Rubusana ANC interim regional task team convenor, Mawethu Marata, wrote to ANC treasurer-general and acting secretary-general Paul Mashatile, asking for his intervention in the “deep state of trouble” and “morass” the ANC was in before it was too late.

“The BGM [branch general meeting] nominations in the region are marred with serious manipulation and blatant stealing of BGM outcomes,” Marata said.

The manipulators allegedly used a similar modus operandi to the manipulation of ANC council candidates’ lists prior to last November’s local government elections. Legitimate candidates were removed and replaced with unknown individuals whose names were smuggled in before the lists were sent to head office.

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Marata said there was widespread discontent among the branches in the Rubusana region. But the regional leadership had urged them to continue with the nomination process, saying the matter would be addressed after the branch elections.

“In attempts to win BGMs by hook or crook, bouncers are organised to attend branch meetings,” Marata said.

Those who came to conduct the process would allegedly leave with meeting packages and secret scanning of attendants was done in cars, away from the venue. In some instances branch delegates were barred from the meetings.

Marata urged Luthuli House to speed up the investigation and for the remaining BGMs to be monitored by the national executive committee as well as the provincial and regional task teams “to avert any form of manipulation”.

When approached for comment, ANC Eastern Cape provincial coordinator Lulama Ngcukayitobi said he had not received Marata’s letter, and if his region experienced manipulation “then it’s a matter he has to do something about and not complain about”.