Newly elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula at the governing party's 55th national conference on Monday at the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Photo: The Ciziten/Nigel Sibanda
Newly elected ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says former ANC Women’s League president, Bathabile Dlamini, will be allowed to stand as a candidate on the soon-to-be-voted national executive committee (NEC) of the governing party.
Dlamini was disqualified from standing as a member of the ANC’s highest decision-making body, in between national conferences, by the party’s electoral committee due to her perjury conviction.
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Mbalula, speaking during his first media briefing on Monday evening since his election as secretary-general, said the ANC’s previous NEC deliberated on Dlamini’s disqualification from the incoming NEC and agreed that she should be allowed to stand as a candidate.
He said this was communicated to the ANC’s 55th national conference in Nasrec.
“The NEC dealt with the issue of comrade Bathabile Dlamini in relation to the ANC constitution. A decision was taken by the NEC that she will be allowed to stand as a member of the NEC. That matter has been laid to rest and clarified with plenary,” said Mbalula.
He added: “Bathabile’s matter was looked at, she paid a fine [after being found guilty of perjury] and in terms of the ANC constitution; it means she is not disbarred from standing for a position in the NEC. And that matter has been cleared inside the plenary.”
Regarding former ANC Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Andile Lungisa‘s suspension from the party, Mbalula said the conference was looking into his appeal over the two-year suspension he was given by the national disciplinary committee (NDC) in September.
Lungisa was released on parole in 2020 after he was sentenced to three years in jail, with one year suspended. This was for his conviction in 2018 for assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm for smashing a glass jug on the head of a DA councillor.
“The matter of Andile Lungisa is being attended to. The steering committee chaired by myself will process that particular issue. We’ll deal with that,” said Mbalula.
Mabula, who also serves as the minister of transport in President Cyril Ramaphosa‘s Cabinet, was elected the ANC’s secretary-general by 1 692 votes after beating former KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, and former Eastern Cape premier Phumulo Masualle for the position.
Ntuli received 1 080 votes while Masualle got 1 590 votes.
Ramaphosa was re-elected for a second term as ANC president after defeating his challenger, Zweli Mkhize.
With his election to the ANC’s top seven officials – a full-time position at Luthuli House in Johannesburg – Mbalula said he would discuss his imminent resignation from Cabinet with Ramaphosa and the rest of the national officials before stepping down.
“If it was my call alone, I would have resigned tonight. So, we have to discuss. I might go now or after the state of the nation address or even go Monday,” he said.
Mbalula said the results of the ANC’s elective conference showed that the unity and renewal of the party remained “sacrosanct”.
“We can confidently assert that the delegates of the ANC have spoken. They spoke loudly, boldly and eloquently that the unity and renewal of our movement remains sacrosanct and must proceed irrevocably.
“As the newly elected leadership we have heard them,” he said.
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The ANC’s new secretary-general also confirmed the conference did not discuss the Phala Phala scandal plaguing Ramaphosa’s presidency.
Mabula described the conference as a resounding success and acknowledged some of the challenges they faced at the beginning of the gathering such as delays in the accreditation of delegates.
He said the ANC was trying to cover the time lost due to the delays.
The conference commissions had concluded their work and would compile reports for plenary for the ANC’s policy resolutions to be adopted, he added.
“We’re going to be working almost throughout the night [Monday] to cover the lost ground in terms of getting reports from the commissions and adopting the resolutions of this national conference,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula said the election of additional members of the ANC’s NEC was also expected to take place, with the results set to be announced on Tuesday in plenary.
The ANC’s newly elected top seven officials are also expected to take part in a media briefing on Tuesday after Ramaphosa closes the national conference.
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