By-election row hits ANC
Longer wait for replacing of councillors
RESIDENTS of Eastern Cape wards hoping to replace their councillors following the ANC’s admission of administrative bungles will have to wait a little longer.
This after the Electoral Commission (IEC) announced earlier this week that only Ward 16 in Mbizana is contesting the next by-election scheduled for March 1. ANC’s Alfred Nzo regional secretary, Sixolile Mehlomakhulu, whose region oversees Mbizana municipality, said the by-election was a result of the death of ward councillor, Mzuvukile Kheswa.
“The ANC has yet to convene its branch general meetings to nominate candidates [for the byelection],” Mehlomakhulu said.
IEC spokeswoman Kate Bapela said the only other by-election in the country scheduled for the same day would be for Ward 39, Mangaung municipality in Bloemfontein.
The road towards the August 3 local government elections within the ruling party in Eastern Cape saw members turning against each other, with fierce competition for the top spot of ward councillor. The ANC admitted, in a Daily Dispatch report earlier this year, that in some cases list committee members flouted the rules, to protect some candidates against others.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane is on record saying where due processes were not followed when councillors received the nod to contest, the party would instruct them to step down as a rectification measure, immediately after the August 3 election. However, that has yet to be effected.
The March 1 round of by-elections will be the second since the election of new councillors. The first round of by-elections were held on November 9 in six Eastern Cape wards.
The Dispatch reported in October that NEC members Malusi Gigaba, Edna Molewa, Lindiwe Zulu, Bathabile Dlamini and Beauty Dlulane visited Amathole region to investigate cases of manipulation of election lists.
The IEC has also set aside February 28 as the day for special voters to cast their ballots for the March 1 by-election. — zineg@dispatch.co.za