Lungisa refuses to stand down
DEFIANT ANC Nelson Mandela Bay chairman Andile Lungisa is not going anywhere – at least for now.
And in a dramatic turn of events, he launched a scathing attack on ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, accusing him of undermining democratic processes and the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences, the national executive committee (NEC).
Lungisa again berated Mantashe for misinterpreting the ANC rule purportedly calling on leaders serving in higher structures not to contest seats in lower structures.
Lungisa, who missed yesterday’s deadline to stand down from the influential position, accused Mantashe of stifling the basic rights of ANC members to contest any position within the party.
He also warned him of the “dreadful net effect of removing a popularly elected regional leadership, in a region where the ANC is mired in political malaise”.
The decision would send the message that the organisation was in disarray.
In yet another letter to Mantashe, Lungisa wrote that he would only step down if ordered to do so by the NEC.
Lungisa claimed his victory after repeatedly defying Mantashe’s calls for him to pull out of the race as the party constitution prohibited leaders serving in higher structures from contesting positions in lower structures. Lungisa is a member of the ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee (PEC).
He said the matter of whether he should contest had been discussed at length by delegates.
“After discussions, it was decided that the will of the branches who had nominated me should be respected. This was not my sole decision. The decision was taken by branch delegates, together with the members of the PEC and the NEC. It therefore cannot be my decision whether or not I step down.
“Nor can it be the decision of the REC (regional executive committee). If the PEC or the NEC instructs the dissolution of the REC, we shall comply with the decision. At the present moment, it is not within our powers to dissolve ourselves,” the letter read.
In previous letters to Lungisa, Mantashe had said he would report his position to the NEC to avoid making the matter personal.
But Lungisa’s latest letter to Mantashe read: “It is our understanding that the reason the matter has been referred to the NEC is for a binding and final decision to be taken. It stands to reason that prior to the final decision of the NEC on the matter, the secretary-general lacks authority to instruct the elected chairperson of the region to stand down.”
On Monday, ANC Eastern Cape secretary Oscar Mabuyane wrote to Lungisa, telling him to step down by yesterday, in line with last week’s decision by the ANC’s top six officials, including Mantashe and President Jacob Zuma.
But Independent Media understands that one of the reasons Lungisa is digging in his heels is because he doesn’t recognise the top six officials as a “formal structure of the ANC”.
Yesterday, Lungisa refused to comment, saying the matter was internal. Mantashe could not immediately be reached for comment. ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said: “There is a standing decision of the NEC on that issue, which the secretary-general communicated to all structures before the REC. He (Lungisa) defied that decision.”