Gauteng’s political turmoil to continue
Two political parties — the SA Communist Party and the EFF
— will hold their national congresses this week while there will probably be further developments over the changing of the guard in Johannesburg after the unseating of the DA last week.
Two political parties — the SA Communist Party (SACP) and the EFF — will hold their national congresses this week while there will probably be further developments over the changing of the guard in Johannesburg after the unseating of the DA last week.
Tshwane is still in limbo, waiting for a court hearing scheduled for December 17. The DA speaker and mayor, who were booted out in a Thursdaynight council meeting, were restored to their positions by the Pretoria high court on Friday after a successful interim application by their party.
The DA has also indicated that it plans to contest the decision of the Gauteng provincial government to place Tshwane under administration.
The ANC national executive council’s (NEC’s) meeting, which began on Sunday, will continue on Monday and there will be a media briefing on its outcomes on Wednesday. It will be the last NEC meeting for the year. Discussions are likely to revolve around SAA and Eskom, which has instituted loadshedding again.
A decision could be taken on when the party’s national general council meeting will be held in 2020.
The NEC could also decide on the recommendations of the integrity commission on ANC MP Bongani Bongo, who has been charged with corruption. The commission has recommended that he step aside from his positions until he has cleared his name.
The SACP’s fourth national congress starts on Monday and lasts until Thursday. It will be followed from Friday until next Monday by the EFF’s second elective conference, which will take place at Nasrec.
SACP chair Senzeni Zokwana will open the party’s congress, which will be addressed by Gauteng premier David Makhura on Monday.
SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande will present the SACP central committee’s political report on Tuesday, followed by the state of organisation report by deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila. Wednesday will be devoted to meetings of various commissions that will submit their reports on Thursday. Nzimande will deliver the closing address.
About 3,200 delegates are expected to attend the EFF’s conference to elect the new leadership of SA’s third-largest party and decide on its policies and strategies. The conference is the EFF’s highest decisionmaking body, which meets every five years.
The theme of the conference is “Consolidating the Ground Towards Socialist Power”.
The party’s two top leaders, president Julius Malema and deputy president Floyd Shivambu, appear set for reelection but other leadership positions are expected to be hotly contested. The positions of Dali Mpofu (national chair) and Godrich Gardee (secretarygeneral) could be under threat. It has been reported that Mpofu might throw his hat into the ring against Malema for the position of president.
Gardee is expected to be challenged for the position of secretary-general by MP Marshall Dlamini.
ABOUT 3,200 DELEGATES ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE EFF’S CONFERENCE TO ELECT THE NEW LEADERSHIP