ANC members threaten to not campaign
This after members' names were cancelled from the list of candidates submitted to the ANC provincial executive committee.
An African National Congress (ANC) flag outside Luthuli House in Johannesburg. Picture: Michel Bega
A rebellion is brewing among ANC structures in the North West as dissatisfied members have threatened to boycott the party’s 2024 election campaign work.
This after their names were cancelled from the list of parliamentary and provincial legislature candidates submitted to the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) by the provincial list committee (PLC).
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The members from the four ANC regions of Bojanala Platinum, Ngaka Modiri Molema, Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Dr Ruth Segomotso Mompati, want the ANC head office to intervene after names that were democratically selected by branches were replaced with bogus names from outside the process.
On Thursday the members protested outside Mpekwa House, the ANC’s provincial headquarters in Mahikeng, to express their dissatisfaction to the PEC. Spokesperson for the branches, Kefilwe Adindu, said the members believed the PLC ignored the results of nominees by branches.
She said, instead of using the branch generated lists at the recent extended ANC PEC meeting, the meeting made deals among attending structures.
“We came together to protest because we are not happy with process followed… “All the four regions in North West have issues with the lists that have been submitted because the processes, rules and guidelines have not been followed,” she said.
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Adindu claimed four of those nominated on the bogus list did not have matric and many have no post-matric qualifications nor any skills, knowledge or experience relevant to help ANC in the legislature or in government.
“The process was completed without conducting interviews as required by the guidelines.” Adindu said the lists included a person who was never nominated nor attended interviews.
The branches were also surprised to find two nominees that were implicated as suspects by the Zondo commission on state capture.
The ANC nomination guidelines prohibited those implicated by the commission from being nominated as MPs and MPLs.
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The members said ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was aware of their complaints, and hoped to get an audience at the upcoming extended NEC meeting.
“Comrades from sub-regions that are not represented on the list are planning to boycott election work,” said a branch member.
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