ANC’s final probe into ‘rigging’ claims

A TEAM of ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) members are in the city today for final investigations into claims of rigging in the selection of councillor candidates ahead of last year’s municipal elections.

Yesterday the team – comprising of NEC members Angie Motshekga, Joe Phaahla, Nathi Mthethwa, Nomaindia Mfeketo, Jackson Mthembu, Pinky Mokoto, Rosinah Semenya and Aaron Motsoaledi – was in the Overberg district to meet with regional leaders to get to the bottom of the matter.

The delegation has been meeting with different branch chairpersons and their secretaries across the province to discuss the disputes relating to the alleged amendments and manipulation of the candidate lists, as well as to establish the role played by members who formed part of the Regional List Conference in the alleged offences.

Last year, numerous protests broke out in areas such as Khayelitsha, Philippi and Nyanga as angry ANC members protested against the candidates appearing on the party’s list.

The party’s provincial deputy secretary, Thandi Manikivana, and administrator Mvusi Mdala were even held against their will just weeks before the elections after protesters, who had been staging a sit-in at the party’s provincial head offices, did not get satisfactory answers.

Many protesters, who had been promised that the matter would be resolved after the elections, threatened to abstain from voting, claiming their preferred candidates were substituted with unknown members who sided with a particular faction.

Provincial leaders had admitted that there were widespread problems surrounding the candidate list issue but shrugged off the complaints by saying ordinary citizens didn’t understand the list process and how it worked.

Provincial organiser of the probe Richard Dyantyi said proceedings from last week and the coming week are the final leg of the investigation.

“The NEC has been with us since October last year investigating this matter, they have been going to the branches in different regions and sitting down with affected members to hear each one’s side of the story,” he said. “From (last) week and this week, they will be finalising this week and will be sitting down to compile a report based on their findings.

“A decision was taken last year already that there should be an investigation into whether there was manipulation to the list process and what steps should be taken afterwards. A lot of work has been (done) thus far.”

STEPS TO BE TAKEN OVER WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS WITH SELECTION OF CANDIDATES