Suspension of ANC regional chair ‘malicious and factional’
ANC MEMBERS in the Frances Baard region have called for a review of the “malicious” suspension of ANC regional chairperson Dr Thapelo Dithebe, failing which they will escalate the matter to the ANC national structures.
ANC provincial secretary Deshi Ngxanga notified Dithebe last week that he was suspended for announcing that he would convene a parallel meeting to that of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
“At a meeting of the PEC held on October 26, the PEC considered your recent activities. You conducted an inter-branch meeting where you announced the holding of BGMs (branch general meetings), which was intended to be parallel to those intended as part of the PEC’s programme. Moreover, you caused these BGMs to be published in a local media advert. Noting the dates published in the media, the PEC noted the urgency of the matter and considered this as a serious transgression which also constituted factional behaviour and detrimental to the unity of the ANC,” Ngxanga stated.
He advised Dithebe that his ANC membership would be temporarily suspended and that he would be stripped of all his powers, functions, activities and duties as chairperson.
“Due to the urgency of the matter and the detrimental impact on the organisation, your suspension is effective immediately.”
Ngxanga added that the PEC would institute internal disciplinary action against Dithebe.
“The matter will be referred to the disciplinary committee for consideration and your suspension shall remain in effect until the process is completed.”
ANC Regional Executive Committee (REC) spokesperson, Ali Diteme, said yesterday that Dithebe’s suspension was “a rushed decision driven by emotions and the politics of the national conference”.
Diteme rejected the suspension with contempt, as being “irrational and factional”.
“We are calling upon the PEC to review such a decision as it is unprecedented and it exposes the malicious intent on the part of some of its members. Failure to do so will leave the REC with no option but to engage the National Executive Committee on the matter,” said Diteme.
“The PEC of our beloved movement cannot conduct itself like a hit squad targeting dissent and all its manifestation, we need to observe democratic space and all its manifestations.
“The ANC REC in the Frances Baard region is shocked and disappointed. The decision to draw and adopt the BGM programme and to roll out the ANC interbranch was a collective decision made after careful consideration.”
Diteme added that the ANC regional secretary, Webster Dichaba, had “unilaterally” decided to implement his own programme without involving the rest of the REC.
“The conference guidelines dictates that the BGMs are the responsibility of the branch executive committees (BECs). We have received correspondence from the BECs indicating their readiness to convene, and we therefore concluded the programme based on the submission from the BECs. We therefore need to debunk the notion that the BGMs are the sole responsibility of the PEC.”