Ruling party to go ‘back to basics’ after poll losses

THE ANC in the Western Cape will be establishing a commission to probe its losses in the province, particularly the effect the controversial list process had on the party’s lacklustre support in the local government elections.

The party failed to win a single municipality and has had to go into coalition with the DA in Kannaland and with the Active United Front in Bitou.

In the City of Cape Town it was routed by the DA, dropping from 33 percent in 2011 to 24.5 percent in the August 3 polls.

After the party’s provincial working committee meeting yesterday, ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said the commission’s terms of reference still needed to be defined.

“The commission will deal with issues of verification, and manipulation of the rules.”

Instead of other factors, Jacobs blamed the list process as being central to the ANC’s declines across the Western Cape.

Disciplinary action could result from the findings of the commission, which will report back to the ANC’s provincial executive every two weeks.

“Part of our healing is to correct our mistakes.”

ANC national chairperson Baleka Mbete yesterday emphasised the need for unity while the party’s provincial chairperson, Marius Fransman, is slated to appear before a national disciplinary committee on September 15.

She told the party’s provincial working committee that they would have to go back to the structures with teams from the national and provincial executive committees visiting all the six regions in the Western Cape to meet with ANC branch leaders.

At the weekend the ANC celebrated the 33rd anniversary of the United Democratic Front with some activists, who were involved with the UDF, and its launch in 1983 in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain. The commemoration took place at Trafalgar High School.

Jacobs said the party in the province was “going back to basics” as a means of restoring its credibility and support among voters after they abandoned the party at the recent polls.

Mbete, and former UDF activist and ANC secretary general Cheryl Carolus were among the special guests who spoke at the event.

Jacobs blamed the ANC’s bad fortunes at the polls on factionalism and gatekeeping. quinton.mtyala@inl.co.za

@mtyala

Picture: IAN LANDSBERG BITTER-SWEET CELEBRATIONS: Anti-apartheid activist and founder member of the UDF Cheryl Carolus joined ANC members Derek Hanekom, Zoleka Capa, Baleka Mbete, Morenzia Gillian and Faiez Jacobs at Trafalgar High School to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of...