ANC slaps ‘rebel’ Mnquma group with R105k fine

Mayor stays, so 21 councillors pay a high price

TWENTY-one rebel Mnquma councillors will have to pay R5 000 each – a total of R105 000 – by the end of next month or face having their ANC membership suspended for three years.

This after the ANC provincial disciplinary committee (PDC) found them guilty of defying party orders when they elected Ndyebo Skelenge as mayor two months ago.

This was revealed at a press briefing at the party’s Calata House headquarters in King William’s Town yesterday.

PDC chairwoman Thokozile Sokhanyile said the councillors had conducted themselves in a manner that violated the ANC’s constitution.

Sokhanyile, who addressed the media with PDC member Elias Makhanya by her side, was asked about the ongoing developments concerning the party’s instruction to mayor Ndyebo Skelenge, who was told on May 4 to immediately convene a council meeting and have Thabo Matiwane elected as mayor.

Skelenge did not follow the instruction – and still remains in the mayoral seat.

Sokhanyile said: “We have been briefed and will follow ANC processes”.

The 21 councillors were found to have attended a council meeting without the guidance and mandate of the provincial executive committee. They were also found to have acted in a manner that provoked division.

Sokhanyile said: “Each respondent is fined a sum of R5 000 which sum must be paid by each respondent on or before 30 June 2018 failing which the membership of the respondents is suspended for a period of three years.”

She said the money must be paid to the office of the provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi and would be used solely for a worthy cause.

She said Ngcukayitobi had to report back to the provincial executive committee before the end of September to give account how he had complied to a directive that the fines, if received, should benefit children with disabilities – and the poor.

“In addition to the said fine the membership of each of the respondents in the ANC is suspended for a period of three years which is wholly suspended on condition that the respondents are not again charged with any act of misconduct in terms of the ANC constitution within a year from 13 May 2018,” she said.

The councillors were given 21 days to file an appeal with the national disciplinary committee structure.

● On May 5, the Dispatch reported that four leading Mnquma councillors were suspended on May 4 from the party for five years. They were mayor Skelenge, speaker Zibuthe Mnqwazi, chief whip Zakhele Mkiva and councillor Luxolo Mngandela.

This was punishment for their role in the controversial March 9 council meeting where Skelenge was elected mayor against the ANC’s instruction.

There were no conditions attached to the sanctions against Mnqwazi, who convened the controversial council meeting, and Mkiva who, according to the PDC, failed to guide the ANC caucus in line with instructions of the party.

Mnqwazi and Mkiva were given 21 days – until Friday – to take up the matter on appeal with the ANC national disciplinary committee.