The Big Guns roll into town

ANC’s top six, led by President Ramaphosa, visit East London

The President Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC top six will arrive in the Eastern Cape this weekend as part of the party’s election programme for the 2019 poll.

In preparation for a visit from the 80-member national executive committee to East London, ANC bosses in Calata House met with premier Phumulo Masualle in King William’s Town on Wednesday, where the party was expected to table its plan to reshuffle the Eastern Cape cabinet.

“The national officials will be leading the entire NEC to all provinces, week in and week out, for the elections programme,” said ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi. “This weekend it is the Eastern Cape, with the president deployed in East London.”

The meeting with the premier comes two days after the ruling party’s deployment committee placed human settlements MEC Mlungisi Mvoko as education MEC, a position left vacant by the death of Mandla Makupula last month.

The changes will see ANC provincial treasurer Babalo Madikizela being sworn in as a member of the Bhisho legislature and thereafter appointed as human settlements MEC.

Masualle is not part of the PEC, and so had to be invited to the official ANC meeting and be briefed about the political decision to make changes in his cabinet.

This is before speaker Noxolo Kiviet receives an official letter from the ANC informing her of the plan.

Also invited to the Wednesday afternoon meeting, held at the War Memorial Hall in King William’s Town, was the Buffalo City Metro troika led by mayor Xola Pakati.

The BCM mayoral committee is also in line for a major shakeup. Pakati has submitted his report on whom he believes should be recalled – but so has the party’s regional structure, currently led by controversial Pumlani Mkolo, whose legitimacy as REC chair is under question.

Contacted for comment, Masualle’s spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said health MEC Phumza Dyantyi was acting premier until Wednesday as Masualle had been in the United States only to come back last week “and was now on leave”.

“MEC Dyantyi [was] the premier until Wednesday,” said Kupelo.