E Cape ANC leader stays on
ANC councillor Andile Lungisa has convinced the Eastern Cape ANC to allow him to stay on as regional chairperson of Nelson Mandela Bay until the NEC takes a decision on the matter.
He had been ordered to step down by the province following last week’s decision by the ANC’s top six officials, including secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and President Jacob Zuma.
But Lungisa felt the “vindictive manner” in which the issue was being handled served to demoralise the masses.
Lungisa and Mantashe had been crossing swords over the interpretation of the rule prohibiting members serving in a higher structure from contesting seats in lower structures. Lungisa was elected regional chairperson in Port Elizabeth recently despite being a member of the provincial executive committee (PEC).
His election was endorsed by Zuma who described it as the will of the people.
ANC provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane had given Lungisa until yesterday to step down, saying failure to do so might result in disciplinary action being considered against him.
Lungisa wrote a letter to Mabuyane, saying: “I am in correspondence with NEC officials, and have expressed my contention to the arbitrary interpretation of Rule 17.4 of the ANC constitution.
“The officials, through secretary-general… Gwede Mantashe, indicated that the matter would be referred to the national executive committee for further deliberations and clarity.
“As a disciplined member of the ANC, with full confidence in internal processes of the organisation, I await that process to be concluded. I would also appeal to the comrades of the PEC to await a process initiated by a higher structure, and desist from the, dare I say, uncomradely threats of disciplinary procedures against myself for a complicated political situation.”
Yesterday, Mabuyane said they had agreed to Lungisa’s appeal that the NEC be given the space to look into the matter. ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said the NEC had already taken a decision that Mantashe had circulated to all structures before Lungisa was elected.
It was up to party structures, not the NEC, to deliberate on the way forward, he said.