Power struggle splits Bay ANC
Regional task team sends damning assessment to national bosses
Nelson Mandela Bay ANC regional bosses want the removal of Andile Lungisa as a mayoral committee member fasttracked and speaker Buyelwa Mafaya and acting chief whip Litho Suka axed.
The call for their removal is included in a damning assessment of the ANC caucus by the party’s regional task team convener, Nceba Faku, co-ordinator Luyolo Nqakula and treasurer Wandisile Jikeka.
The regional task team sent the assessment to the party’s national bosses on Thursday, a few days after the controversial council meeting on Monday last week when 20 ANC councillors defied party orders by voting municipal housing delivery boss Mvuleni Mapu in as acting city manager.
Explicit instructions were given the day before not to endorse Mapu’s appointment.
“All councillors who defied the position of the ANC must be written to and requested to state reasons as to why they cannot be suspended,” the report says.
“Disciplinary processes must be instituted by the provincial executive committee.”
The instruction had been reiterated to Mafaya and Suka on the day of the council meeting.
However, Mapu was appointed with the help of dissident councillors.
“Since the acting chief whip assumed the responsibility, together with the speaker, they have failed to give the ANC a sense of political leverage and hegemony the ANC ought to command in the council as the majority party in the black caucus,” the report says.
It said what had become clear was that the ANC, despite having the number advantage in the black caucus, could not implement its ideas due to weak leadership.
“The image of the ANC is constantly and consistently subdued as it has to be associated with wrong and illegal decisions taken by the black caucus similar to the reign of [Mongameli] Bobani who was a mayor as a result of the black caucus.”
The report says the ANC does not exist for the sake of the black caucus — made up of the UDM, AIC, United Front and Patriotic Alliance.
“Participation in the black caucus was meant to be a move to advance the ANC’s strategic mission of transforming society and therefore if the ANC cannot do so, it must ask itself vexing and pertinent political questions,” it says.
This assessment was the latest sign of power struggles in the ANC caucus as party members gear up for the upcoming regional conference.
The power struggle came to the fore yesterday as dozens of ANC officials protested outside the party’s regional offices at Florence Matomela House in Port Elizabeth, calling for the regional task team to be disbanded within 72 hours.
The protesters said that failing this, they would appoint their own leaders.
Holding a statement purportedly endorsed by ANC branches, Nick Nama said they were frustrated with the regional task team and felt it had weakened the ANC.
“The current ANC regional task team was appointed in December 2018 and has been in office for one year and six months,” the statement says.
“They have dismally failed to fulfil any of the terms of reference of their appointment which are to rebuild the branches and take the region to a regional conference.
“Their wishy-washy defence is that the novel coronavirus outbreak prevented them from doing work.
“The people of the Bay are
dying like flies while the regional task team is hell-bent on disrupting the ANC councillors from rolling out service delivery to their constituencies.”
Nama said the party’s branches were not listened to, adding that they refused to join the DA in running the city.
“We don’t get why Nqakula is meeting with Nqaba Bhanga, the leader of the DA in the province.
“This has not been explained to us as branches,” he said.
Meanwhile, the regional task team has also suggested a reshuffle of the mayoral committee.
“The loss of political cohesion and coherence will be the order of the day, if Suka and Mafaya don’t demonstrate the appropriate political leadership and maturity,” it says in the letter to the party’s national bosses.
“The failure to appreciate the fact that the ANC exists independently and has its own distinct political mission is a fundamental problem.”
The letter also responded to startling allegations made by Suka in a confidential report sent to ANC secretary-general
Ace Magashule on Wednesday, in which he explained why councillors defied the party’s instruction and endorsed Mapu.
When Suka sent his letter directly to Magashule, he defied ANC protocol as he bypassed the regional and provincial ANC structures.
Suka claimed ousted acting city manager Noxolo Nqwazi had refused to pay accounting firm PwC while she was in the position, allegedly in an effort to ensure two forensic reports never saw the light of day, and that was why she had to be replaced.
Nqwazi has denied the claim.
Suka also claimed that Nqwazi had hiked her salary as executive director of sports, arts and culture and those of Anele Qaba (economic development), Walter Shaidi (infrastructure and engineering) and Selwyn Thys (CFO).
In response, she said it was all above board.
On Suka’s allegation against Nqwazi, the regional task team said: “Reference in his report about the alleged wrongdoing on Nqwazi’s side is based on hearsay and gossip.
“The glaring ignorance of local government and its legalisation leaves much to be desired.”
Lungisa said he would continue to serve the ANC.
“I have served the ANC in many different capacities.
“I will continue serving the ANC in different capacities,” he said.
He said as an ANC member he could not allow corruption to take place.
“I will fight against that person without fear or favour. I fight with my boots on.
“In this municipality, we will not allow any act of corruption.”
Lungisa said all other acting city managers had been decided by the black caucus without input from the regional task team.
“It is an administrative issue that involves the day-to-day activities of council.”
When asked for comment, Nqakula referred The Herald to ANC regional spokesperson JP Pretorius, who said it was unfortunate that both the whippery report and the joint RTT and PEC report were leaked to the media.
Pretorius said the regional task team would release a statement later in the week.
Mafaya and Suka could not be reached for comment.