Lungisa’s tirade reveals ANC ‘battle lines’
Battle lines within ANC structures in the Eastern Cape have been drawn ahead of the party s
’ national general council meeting early next year.
The power struggle could see president Cyril Ramaphosa face a vote of no confidence from his own comrades in the party.
This comment was made by political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni, in reaction to utterances made by former Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Andile Lungisa on Tuesday.
Lungisa publicly ridiculed Ramaphosa and provincial ANC chair Oscar Mabuyane s
’ leadership qualities, and questioned Mabuyane s struggle credentials.
’
On Wednesday, ANC structures in Nelson Mandela Bay, Dr WB Rubusana, Alfred Nzo, Sarah Baartman, Joe Gqabi and Chris Hani regions all condemned Lungisa s utterances,
’ describing them as malicious and divisive statements from a very rogue element ”.
Regional party structures are particularly incensed over Lungisa s reference to Mabuyane
’ as a novice in politics ”.
“
Just hours after being released on parole after serving less than three months of a two-year prison sentence for grievous assault for hitting DA councillor Rano Kayser over the head with a glass water jug in a Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting in 2018, Lungisa launched an offensive tirade. He called on Ramaphosa to stop what he claimed were attacks on former president Jacob Zuma, while blasting Mabuyane and his executive. Lungisa accused Ramaphosa of being behind the legal woes faced by Zuma, while slagging off Mabuyane s ANC
’ provincial executive as illiterate
“dolls with no clear political background ”.
In his address at the PE city hall, Lungisa described Bhisho legislature deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane as the face of
“” the ANC in the province. Qoboshiyane,
who is no longer part of the ANC provincial leadership, was in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday to welcome Lungisa after his release from prison.
Regional structures that have called for decisive action to be taken against Lungisa also called on Qoboshiyane to openly distance himself from Lungisa s utterances, or risk being
’ seen as a face of a faceless
“agenda which seeks to divide the ANC in the Eastern Cape ”. Lungisa s outburst came a day
’ before the Constitutional Court dismissed his application for leave to appeal against his jail sentence. He was sentenced to three years direct imprisonment,
’ of which one year was wholly suspended.
A quorum of nine judges, headed by chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, on Wednesday found that Lungisa s appeal
’ against his sentence did not engage the Constitutional Court s jurisdiction.
’
The constitution stipulates that any person sentenced to more than 12 months direct
’ imprisonment for an offence cannot become a member of the National Assembly, a provincial legislature or municipal council until five years after the sentence has been completed.
On Wednesday, Fikeni said Lungisa s utterances clearly
’ showed the battle lines within ANC structures. Lungisa has
“positioned himself as part of the Zuma-Ace Magashule faction. So his utterances are precisely part of that arrangement.”
ANC PEC spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela on Wednesday described Lungisa s comments
’ as unfortunate ”, and said they demonstrated malicious intentions
“to divide the ANC ”.
Magqashela said the PEC would meet and possibly reflect on what action could be taken against Lungisa. But he said the PEC would seek no explanation from Qoboshiyane, who could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
Lungisa could also not be reached for comment by print deadline on Wednesday.