ANC heads hold lekgotla

Meeting takes place amid reports of challenges to Ramaphosa’s leadership

THE ANC’s national executive committee has kicked off its lekgotla amid a plethora of crises, chief among them being how the ruling party’s leadership handled Eskom’s debilitating power woes.

Following bombshells on how Eskom’s management and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan allegedly misled President Cyril Ramaphosa on challenges at the power utility, the gloves are expected to come off as the ruling party attempts to come up with solutions.

But secretary-general Ace Magashule yesterday insisted that despite disputes among the party’s leaders on resolutions adopted at the ANC’s 54th national conference in 2017, including the nationalisation of the SA Reserve Bank, the government had a duty to implement them.

“Even in terms of state-owned enterprises and the economy. We checked and looked at the 51st, 52nd, 53rd and 54th conference resolutions, and we said this is the year of implementation of our policies,” he said on the sidelines of the meeting, held in Centurion outside Pretoria.

Magashule also denied that the party’s top leadership was plagued by growing disunity.

“We always see the media reports and highlights. There weren’t any turf battles.

“This was the best NEC we had starting and beginning the year 2020. I think the president, and all of us, has once more emphasised the issue of building a capable state and the issue of unity.”

Insiders are tight-lipped on whether the lekgotla will entertain calls for Gordhan to step down, as some NEC members gun for him while others have shown him support.

The lekgotla is also expected to examine progress on policy around the expropriation of land without compensation.

Magashule said the party’s top brass aimed to look at ways of giving practical expression to the January 8 statement delivered by Ramaphosa in the Northern Cape earlier this month.

The ruling party has also set its sights on local government and weakened service delivery in the municipalities.

Delivering the January 8 statement, Ramaphosa warned ANC public representatives who, he said, were spoiling the party’s standing among its supporters through bad performance and wrongdoing.

The party is expected to announce the outcome of its meeting on Wednesday.

We see the media reports... There weren’t any turf battles. Ace Magashule ANC SECRETARY-GENERAL