ANC PGC hints at Mabuyane victory

song with the lyrics: running for reelection on the Masualle card – took it personally and clamped down on singing from that point on.

If the PGC is to a barometer, Masualle should brace himself for a tough time in his quest to retain the lucrative provincial chair as Mabuyane consolidates his troops.

The song cannot be translated in isolation from the hand gestures that accompanied its singing, which are synonymous with calls for a player’s substitution in soccer matches but have come to be accepted as calls for change in ANC conferences.

Such gestures were a hit in ANC gatherings preceding the 2007 Polokwane national conference where Jacob Zuma displaced Thabo Mbeki. And the peace sign did it again for Zuma’s reelection in Mangaung in 2012.

Historically, during the year of conferences in the ANC, songs and hand gestures become one of the ways in which ANC members demonstrate support for their preferred leaders.

But it also depends on the timing and the type of gathering at which the songs are sung, as well as the hand gestures made.

The song that Mabuyane supporters used to drown another song was indicative that his campaign’s strength is anchored in support from branches.

As provincial secretary he has an added advantage as his role revolves around party work.

His opponent Masualle, as premier, has to divide his time between party and government duties.

And the timing of the PGC incident cannot be underestimated as it happened about a month before the provincial conference.

This also served to dispel leadership preference pronouncements made by regional executive committee (REC) structures of the governing party, which seemingly are not always a true reflection of what the branches on the ground want.

A case in point are five of eight ANC RECs in the province – Dr W B Rubusana, Amathole, Joe Gqabi, Chris Hani and Nelson Mandela Bay – who have pronounced on backing Masualle.

Had the pronouncements of these five regions been in line with their branches’ wishes, the pro-Mabuyane song at the PGC would have been countered with ease for they would have been in the majority.

But as an old ANC adage goes, amandla asemasebeni (power lies with the branches). —