‘Database’ issues divide ANC

THE upcoming ANC Regional Conference has left ANC supporters on the South Coast divided.

The conference will determine the new political leaders for the next five years. While some are still happy with the current leadership, some wards think it is time for change for the Lower South Coast region.

Recently, an angry group of ANC supporters, who think it is time for change, marched to the political party’s offices.

The group claimed that because the current leadership was aware they wanted change, their names were being removed from the membership database, during the process of Branch General Meetings (BGM), so that they could not nominate delegates to the ANC Regional Conference, which will be held in November this year.

Marchers accused the current ANC secretary, Mzwandile Mkhwanazi, of sending his ‘friends’ to these BGMs to make sure that people voted in his favour.

A protester said 60 people from a ward in Oshabane were removed from the database. “We had paid the full joining fee, but because they know that our ward is one of those wards which wants change our members have been unfairly removed,” she said.

There are currently two camps, one camp is happy with the way things are run on the South Coast, while the other camp thinks it’s about time things change.

ANC spokesman, Sipho Dlamalala confirmed that there was a march. “A group of people claiming to have been unfairly removed from the membership database marched to our offices,” said Mr Dlamalala.

He explained that the BGMs were to choose new branch leaders and elect delegates who would attend and be able to vote for new leadership at the regional conferences.

“The leadership is waiting for comrades who conducted the BGM meetings from where such complaints emanated, to submit comprehensive reports on what transpired during the proceedings,” he added.

“The ANC leadership commits itself to investigate all complaints and act accordingly,” he concluded.