ANC regions in North West hold general councils

All four ANC regions in the North West are holding regional general councils (RGC) this weekend – giving hope the mid-term gatherings by regional and branch structures will help bring political stability to the province known for endless political conflicts.

Provincial spokesperson Tumelo Maruping said the RGCs for the Ngaka Modiri Molema and the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati regions will be held at 10am tomorrow at Mmabatho Civic Centre and Taung Depot, respectively.

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The Bojanala region will gather at the Rustenburg Civic Centre and the Dr Kenneth Kaunda region at Auditorium Hall in Klerkdorp on Sunday at 10am.

Maruping said among issues on the agenda would be the introduction of the newly appointed ANC national executive committee (NEC) deployees to the North West, the energy crisis and organisational renewal.

It is understood branch executive committee members from throughout the province had been invited to the RGCs.

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Recently, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula announced the NEC deployees to provinces, with Soviet Lekganyane the convenor for North West. He will work with fellow deployees Mondli Gungubele, Sputla Ramokgopa, Nkenke Kekana, Zoleka Capa, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and Mdumiseni Ntuli.

North West ANC squabbles

North West had numerous internal squabbles among its structures. Some members disputed the August 2022 provincial conference and its outcomes, including the election of the provincial executive committee (PEC).

They also questioned the legitimacy of the party’s interim provincial committee (IPC) that organised the conference because its term had expired.

The latest development was an ANC member, Sello Molefe, who is taking deputy president Paul Mashatile to court on allegations of fraud, forgery and perjury.

ALSO READ: Mashatile accused of falsifying affidavit to mislead court into ruling in favour of ANC

Molefe alleges Mashatile mislead the court in an affidavit claiming the NEC had resolved to reappoint former IPC when that was not true. It was established that the NEC never sat and there was no such a resolution.

If the court finds in Molefe’s favour, Mashatile could be charged criminally and the newly elected PEC dissolved.

Luthuli House defends Mashatile

However, Luthuli House has defended Mashatile against the claims saying he acted on behalf of the ANC and if Molefe had a complaint he should follow due party procedures.

Some regional executive committees allegedly manipulated the appointments of municipal managers and chief financial officers to put their favourites.

ALSO READ: ‘Leaders act on behalf of party, not in personal capacity,’ says ANC on reported case against Mashatile

The question of parachuted councillors, where unknown councillors were sneaked onto ANC candidates list prior to the 2021 municipal elections, was not resolved, despite being reported to the NEC.

Some of the legitimate candidates and some communities have taken the matter to court