No ‘winner takes all’ result can be guaranteed

Oscar Wilde, in The Ballad of Reading Gaol, had this to say about betrayal: Yet each man kills the thing he loves / By each let this be heard, / Some do it with a bitter look, / Some with a flattering word, / The coward does it with a kiss/ The brave man with a sword.

The road to the third ANC regional conference in Dr WBM Rubusana region may, to the outsider and political layman, seem smooth with the “winner takes all” outcome of yesteryear on the cards.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Legend has it that power rests with one man in the region – that he makes all things happen and if one wants things to go smoothly in regional and provincial politics, all things must be smoothed over and alliances forged with him.

This has created an atmosphere of invincibility around this person. Loyal disciples would have you believe that all he needs do is sleep through the process of branch general meetings and wake up on conference day in order to emerge victorious, and that not a finger need be lifted to claim space in regional politics.

The air of invincibility surrounding Pumlani Mkolo, whether perceived or real, has has sustained his political career. What has upset the applecart is the current regional chair reneging on agreed-upon terms of how power would operate in the new municipal term that started after the 2016 local government elections.

The moment Mkolo delivered the current executive mayor’s seat, attitudes changed and, enjoying the trappings of the highest office in Buffalo City Metro, incumbent Xola Pakati demonstrated a level of testicular fortitude not seen before and resisted attempts made to capture the state.

As with any arrangement made in the dead of night, this agreement was bound to fail.

In any transaction between two actors, it is advisable never to reach a point where it may seem that one might owe their lot to the efforts of the other. Indeed, lose a battle if you must, after you have put every effort into winning it, and you will be proud of your efforts – unlike winning only to be told every day that you would not have made it had it not been for the effort of the other.

This is where we are today. “A dream deferred” is the line loyalists have been fed – their dreams of finally scoring a job in the institution of local government is delayed by Pakati and his continued occupation of the top seat.

In politics our people have been orientated to think the only employer that can give them a job is the state. Tons of people are motivated to join politics for the sole reason of scoring state employment.

There was relative ease and calm in Mkolo’s coterie – up until the time came for him and his lieutenants to finalise the lineup for the upcoming regional conference.

It seems his desire to be in control of everything through the top seat has almost set the region aflame.

First off, zones had been given a task of coming up with names for officials of the region. An impasse followed in which brother was pitted against brother.

The East London zone came up with the name of comrade Sindile Toni for the post of regional secretary, which caught Mkolo unawares. Plans by the zone to have their own become the most senior official were then scuttled.

A problem that has gone undetected since the first regional conference in East London City Hall in 2012 is that the Mdantsane zone has occupied three officials’ posts at the expense of Duncan Village. The same thing happened in 2015 at the Alexander Golf Club in West Bank, where Duncan Village was again the obvious loser.

This time, as the nominations process proceeded, it seemed to be excluding East London as a zone. This got the backs up of the warriors from this zone and they started their own thing.

From having a solid 36 branches under one roof, this betrayal ensured a breakup.

Now before going further, a question must be asked: as the branches have pronounced on their preferred candidates, and with Mkolo among the frontrunners, what of his case before the ANC’s national integrity commission/ committee (NIC)?

The ANC branches at Nasrec made it clear that the NIC should have teeth and be more effective.

This could spell the end of Mkolo’s dream of becoming regional chair. And that would leave one credible person for the post – Sindile Toni, with Crosby Kolela deputising.

For the sake of unity and to stop tendencies of defining ANC comrades on the basis of who they support, a unifying figure is needed – one who will focus all of our energies on defending the ANC and its principles and ensuring the region regains the shine it lost after dropping from 71% in 2011 to 60% in 2016.

This should be supported by all to end the infighting and ensure we, as footsoldiers of the movement, go to our people with renewed vigour to persuade them to vote ANC and deliver a decisive twothirds majority in the National Assembly, as well as to set the wheels in motion for an equally decisive majority in the 2021 local government elections.

Our caucus in 2021 should comprise capable cadres who will have one thing in mind – to fast-track the attainment of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and ensure our people are liberated from the chains of poverty, inequality and unemployment.

Some of us have been surprised to discover that the same person who engineered the exit of comrade Phumulo Masualle from ANC politics in the province was among the first to lament the role of the the current provincial executive committee of the ANC in the Eastern Cape.

Ensuring a return to stability in ANC politics in the region will renew the strength of the Eastern Cape PEC, and allow the province to regain its moral high ground and speak with authority in national politics.

Legend has it that power rests with one man in the region, that he makes all things happen

Xolani Somaca is a member in good standing of the ANC Raymond Mhlaba branch in Mdantsane