Eastern Cape leaders set to play pivotal roles
SEVERAL senior ANC leaders from the Eastern Cape will play a key role when thousands of party members break into commissions from today to discuss proposed policy discussions at the 5th ANC policy conference currently being held in Nasrec, Johannesburg.
The conference comes as the party faces challenges including remaining relevant to voters from whom it used to enjoy overwhelming support from the dawn of democracy.
The ruling party has in recent years been confronted with factional fights and internal squabbles that saw the ANC losing control of some metropolitan municipalities after last year’s local government elections.
But perceptions that its influence in running the state was being masterminded by the Gupta family has dented its image.
ANC economic transformation committee chairman Enoch Godongwana and committee member Gugile Nkwinti will chair two separate commissions on economic transformation on Monday to focus on whether a new stateowned bank should be established.
It is expected to also shine a spotlight on radical economic transformation, its meaning, how it should be implemented and whether or not to turn it into a policy.
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will chair the peace and stability commission also on Monday, which will cover international relations, challenges on intelligence gathering and how the party allowed President Jacob Zuma to be booed at the May Day rally in Bloemfontein.
Provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane will report back on the critical commission of strategy, tactics and organisational renewal.
Mabuyane has publicly spoken about a need for every ANC member in good standing to be able to vote for the top officials and National Executive Committee members directly.
Currently, only a few delegates from branches in good standing have a say in who leads the ANC, and by extension, South Africa, as it is the party in power.
The Eastern Cape, with support from Gauteng, believes the voting method exposes conferences to vote buying, as delegates become “super members” who vote according to paymasters, without being held accountable.
Provincial deputy secretary Helen Sauls-August and provincial executive member Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams will report back resolutions of the communications commissions. — zineg@dispatch.co.za / zingisam@dispatch.co.za