Former Mangaung ANC Mayor Thabo Manyoni. Photo: Gallo Images
After holding separate regional conferences, warring ANC factions in Mangaung are not letting down, with former mayor Thabo Manyoni saying he has undertaken to fight the provincial interim committee (IPC) and “rid the party of thieves”.
Mangaung, which is the province’s only metro, is in disarray. Mudslinging among members and multiple court challenges are the order of the day, while residents continue to bear the brunt of poor services in the troubled municipality.
Manyoni, once a rival of long-time former provincial leader Ace Magashule, has seemingly changed course and is working with the RET faction aligned to the suspended ANC secretary-general.
While IPC convenor Mxolisi Dukwana and some of his team members oversaw the conference held at Imvelo Lodge outside of Bloemfontein, Manyoni and 80 others held a parallel conference and elected their own leaders at the President Hotel in the Bloemfontein CBD.
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Manyoni’s group was dealt a blow in the Free State High Court after their application to interdict the other conference was thrown out on Friday. They accused the other faction of manipulating branch processes and membership fraud.
Manyoni admitted that he met with Magashule supporters and later with backers of incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa to try to convince them to stop fighting and unite.
“Branches must themselves decide what course they want the party to take because these ones [IPC] have put us deeper into the quagmire. What is the NEC saying after this weekend? Are they convinced the ANC in Mangaung is united?
“Any sensible person with that power and in charge of the province should have found out from branches who they wanted as their leaders and lead the process from there. The IPC has failed, it has intensified the divisions in the regions and the province. Even they themselves are divided,” he told The Citizen on Monday.
The factional fights are expected to continue at the provincial conference to be held next week, where Dukwana will face off with Manyoni for the chairperson position.
The Manyoni-aligned conference elected interim regional committee member Patrick Monyakoane as chairperson, whom, according to party provincial spokesperson Oupa Khoabane, is affected by the ANC’s step-aside resolution as he faces criminal charges in court.
Monyakoane is also part of the eight Mangaung councillors who were found guilty and threatened with expulsion for having voted with opposition parties several times in council.
They, along with at least 16 others, were adamant that they acted in accordance with Ramaphosa’s call to members to root out corruption.
“This nightmare we are facing was never a dream of leaders such as Mandela and Tambo. We should not allow this. I am not happy but am not going to just fold my arms, I am going to ensure that this stops.
“We can’t allow people to steal the organisation. When you are elected fraudulently, it’s obvious you would continue with your thieving ways because that’s how you got there in the first place. Why are we allowing thieves to carry on? They will steal all resources and our country ultimately.
“I am going to mobilise people, not only in the Free State but across the country to fight this rot. Even at Nasrec, we can’t allow it to continue still… by attending Nasrec, we are going to legitimise the thievery, I am going to fight the stealing of branch delegates,” vowed the former mayor.
Branch member Ditaba Mokhutle said the ANC NEC has to bear the blame along with the IPC for the divisions.
Mokhutle attended the Manyoni-aligned conference.
“I am actually happy after what happened in Bloemfontein. Let the people of South Africa see that the ANC in Luthuli House lacks leadership.
“In fact, the ANC NEC doesn’t take the Free State province seriously. We held our conference after getting a mandate from the branches, not stolen branches that sat at Imvelo. And we are going to the provincial conference next week to further the branches’ mandate.”
Without mincing his words, Khoabane told The Citizen that the “gathering” that elected Monyakoane and his team was not recognised by the IPC.
Efforts by the IPC to intervene and resolve problems between the two opposing sides failed over the weekend.
“There were no two conferences, there was only one. Monyakoane is on step aside, he has been attending to his criminal case relating to allegations of assault dating back to 2012.
“Why was Magashule not nominated? It is because he has stepped aside and is in court. Monyakoane was not supposed to have remained in the IRC. That gathering was organised so that they could continue should they lose the court application, there was only one conference organised by the IRC.”
Some IPC members such as longtime Magashule ally and MEC Mamiki Qabathe were in attendance at the President Hotel. Others such as former MEC Mathabo Leeto and leader of the disbanded MK National Council Gregory Nthatise were at the Imvelo Lodge venue.
Khoabane lambasted leaders who were at the anti-Dukwana conference.
“The conduct IPC members who took a decision that the Imvelo conference must sit but then went to address the President Hotel gathering is condemned.
“They want to be elected and therefore align themselves with the ill-disciplines, just to have a following. The IPC will decide what to do with them.”
Meanwhile, in the Lejweleputswa region, chaos erupted on Sunday as members gathered to elect leaders at Aldam Resort in Ventersburg.
Khoabane said disgruntled individuals arrived and stormed the venue because they had grievances.
“Because they said they wanted to be heard, they were allowed in but caused chaos once they stepped inside. But they eventually left and the conference continued and voted for new regional leaders.”
Xolile Toki was appointed Lejweleputswa chairperson unopposed.
The conference continued until Monday and was addressed by ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe earlier.
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