Embattled Lungisa looks to NEC
• Regional chairman says he will quit if national executive tells him to
Embattled ANC Nelson Mandela Bay chairman Andile Lungisa is looking to the ANC’s national executive committee, set to meet at the weekend, to prevent his removal from his new post.
Embattled ANC Nelson Mandela Bay chairman Andile Lungisa is looking to the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC), set to meet at the weekend, to prevent his removal from his post.
He was given until Thursday to step aside, but he is adamant that he will not do so before the party’s national leadership discusses the matter.
This is after the party’s officials, as well as its provincial leadership, called on him to vacate his office. Lungisa defied party secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and stood for election to his post even though he was not eligible to do so in terms of party rules.
Mantashe has stood fast on the matter, saying last week that it would set a bad precedent for the party if Lungisa was allowed to continue in the post, opening the way for other members to break the rules in a similar way.
Lungisa was not allowed to stand for election to a lower party structure because of his position on its provincial executive committee.
However, he has a powerful backer in the party in the form of its president, Jacob Zuma.
The ANC leader tacitly endorsed his election when he a made surprise appearance at the regional elective conference two weeks ago.
The furore surrounding Lungisa is linked to the ANC’s leadership race, which is set to culminate in the elective conference in mid-December, when Zuma’s successor will be decided.
Lungisa argued in a letter to Mantashe that he was misinterpreting the rules.
The ANC’s NEC — as the highest decision-making body between congresses — should decide on his standing, he said. The secretary-general “lacked authority” to ask him to step down, he contended.
“It is our understanding that the reason the matter has been referred to the NEC is for a binding and final decision to be taken,” Lungisa said in a letter to Mantashe.
“It stands to reason that prior to the final decision on the matter, the secretary-general lacks authority to instruct the elected chairperson of the region to stand down.”
Lungisa accused Mantashe of not giving him an opportunity to state his case and said he hoped that the NEC would give him such a hearing.
He also warned against the dangers of removing “popularly elected” leaders. The stand-off is taking place in a region in which the ANC lost its key metro to the DA in the local government election in 2016.
Lungisa said the instruction for him to stand down would undermine the role of the NEC as the highest decision-making body between conferences.
However, he said that he would step down if the NEC decided that he should.
“At this point in time, it is our understanding that the matter is still pending before the NEC and as such, the elected leadership shall be remaining in its position.”
The ANC’s Eastern Cape secretary, Oscar Mabuyane, wrote to Lungisa on Monday, asking him to step down from the post by Thursday.
THE FURORE SURROUNDING LUNGISA IS LINKED TO THE ANC’S LEADERSHIP RACE