ANC re-elects Sotashe
IT’S third time lucky for ANC Cape Town chairperson Xolani Sotashe who, amid simmering tension and several internal disputes, was re-elected at a regional conference at the weekend.
Sotashe was re-elected alongside incumbent regional secretary JJ Tyhalisisu and deputy secretary Charlotte Heyns. Heyns and Sotashe are both councillors in the City of Cape Town.
Joseph Thee is deputy regional chairperson while Pat Mngxunyeni was elected treasurer at the conference held at UWC. Sotashe said positions in the region were hotly contested and came with “a little drama”.
“One of the hiccups was at the credential adoption phase. These issues normally take very long and we had to ensure that it was done properly because of the sensitive nature of it. Conferences of the ANC can at times be very tedious, but we pushed through.”
He said there were several disputes and validity claims by members.
“But those issues were addressed and the ones we haven’t got will be addressed in days to come. Those who say that the current leadership have achieved very little are wrong.
“I don’t respond to negative critics; responsible and positive critique is what we want.” Sotashe added if it wasn’t for the ANC’s pressure on issues around mayor Patricia de Lille, the water crisis and corruption in the City, these issues would remain under wraps.
“We have made our voices heard on all these issues. There are mega problems within the City and there are attempts to underplay these issues. We have managed to rip open these matters and expose the City’s leadership for who they are.” On factionalism, Sotashe said teething issues had been sorted out, although the risks remained.
“There have been public fights between leaders, and at one stage, contradicting statements from leaders.
“It was tough, but we managed to get through that difficult stage. Now we are more united, we speak more openly about the issues that worry us.
“We address those issues and make sure it doesn’t occur again. There are people who thrive on chaos, but that is no longer the case.”
He also said they would be reaching out to new constituencies in an effort to change the perception of the ANC.
“We are able to reach out to white South Africans of different income groups. We are reaching out more to our coloured constituency and we are ensuring that we also focus on our strongest supporters. What is important is to expand the ANC. We can’t just focus on the card-carrying members.” ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said only the Boland region needed to hold its regional conference.
“Once that is done and we reach 70% branches in good standing, we can proceed to a provincial general council to elect a new chairperson. We are planning that for the end of September.”