Sowetan

Supra to work with task team

Bid to unite party before elections

- By Neo Goba

ANC officials have proposed that the recently reinstated North West provincial executive committee (PEC), led by former premier Supra

Mahumapelo, work with the provincial task team appointed by the party’s NEC. Sources privy to the discussion­s at a meeting that took place behind closed doors at Luthuli House yesterday, between Mahumapelo’s PEC, the task team and ANC officials, said if the proposal is rejected, the party will hold a special NEC meeting to deal with the matter.

ANC spokespers­ons Dakota Legoete and Zizi Kodwa had not responded to Sowetan’s request for comment at the time of going to print. Mahumapelo’s PEC held its first meeting over the weekend to discuss a way forward following their reinstatem­ent by the South Gauteng High Court last week.

The court set aside the NEC’s decision to disband the PEC in August last year, effectivel­y reinstatin­g Mahumapelo at the helm of the party in the troubled province.

This follows Mahumapelo and four others approachin­g the court to have the national executive committee’s decision overturned.

The court found that the NEC’s decision to disband the structure was procedural­ly unfair and a breach of the party’s constituti­on and in violation of the “applicant’s Section 19 constituti­onal rights”.

The court further ruled that Mahumapelo and the disbanded PEC he chaired should be reinstated within two days of the ruling and that leaving the provincial task team (PTT) in place, as the ANC had contended, would constitute preserving an illegal state of affairs.

This past weekend, the ANC sent the newly establishe­d rapid task team, chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza, to the troubled North West to meet with the PEC and the PTT.

Mabuza and the team he leads are tasked with “promoting unity” within the ANC’s structures in the North West. “It was compulsory to speak for every PEC member in the meeting to express views and suggestion­s on the current political situation in the province and possible way forward,” said PEC spokespers­on Gerald Modise.

He said the PEC resolved to make proposals to ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s office about the structure’s post-term of office as well as mechanisms of “urgently bringing everyone on board” regarding elections.

‘ ‘ It was compulsory to speak to every PEC member

 ?? / ALAISTER RUSSELL ?? Reinstated Supra Mahumapelo’s PEC, the task team and ANC officials met behind closed doors at Luthuli House yesterday.
/ ALAISTER RUSSELL Reinstated Supra Mahumapelo’s PEC, the task team and ANC officials met behind closed doors at Luthuli House yesterday.

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