Mandela Bay ANC chair causes rift

Party members to oppose new leader.

President Jacob Zuma has endorsed the election of former ANC Youth League deputy Andile Lungisa as chair of the ruling party’s Nelson Mandela Bay metro regional executive committee (REC).

This was despite ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe warning the move went against the party’s constitution.

Addressing delegates yesterday at the ANC’s regional elective conference in Port Elizabeth, Zuma said the party looked at “quality, energy and consistency” when electing leaders.

“In other words, we choose the leader we can say is going to make us deliver on our programmes and policies,” Zuma told the cheering crowd.

“If the majority has spoken, it has spoken. Our duty is to respect that decision and take it as our own for the health of our beloved organisation.”

According to Zuma, the ANC needed to strive for unity in order to regain lost ground.

A member of the provincial executive committee (PEC), Lungisa had on Saturday told the media he had decided to decline the nomination.

But a few hours later, it emerged that he was in the running, along with Tony Duba, who he beat by 71 votes to 57 in the election.

Lungisa later defended himself by saying that the matter of electing any member of the ANC resided with the branches of the party. He said no individual was above ANC structures.

The ANC’s amended constitution states that people in higher structures may not contest positions in lower levels.

In a letter sent to all provincial structures last week, Mantashe said any attempt to resign from the PEC to stand for a position at a regional conference should not be allowed.

ANC eastern Cape secretary Oscar Mabuyane said the decision could not go unchallenged, because it set a wrong precedent. – ANA