Province must answer on Molefe – Gwede
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe yesterday washed his hands of the North West province’s decision to nominate former Eskom chief executive Brian Molefe to become a member of parliament (MP).
Yesterday, the Sunday Times and Sunday Independent reported that Molefe did not belong to a Hartbeespoort ANC branch as the province had indicated.
The branch leaders in the area, including the regional secretary, claimed Molefe had never attended a branch meeting and they had never seen him before.
Mantashe told Sowetan the North West forwarded Molefe’s name to parliament and they would deal with the matter.
“The issue here is Molefe has been nominated to parliament and many people have views about him,” Mantashe said.
“Society has issues about Molefe. These issues the North West will have to sort [out] itself.”
Last month, the Sunday Times was the first newspaper to report that Molefe was to become an MP.
At the time, Mantashe said Molefe was not on the list and was therefore not going to become an MP.
Mantashe is in charge of the national-to-national list, meaning party members who are nominated through Luthuli House to parliament.
Provincial leaders also compile a different list of members. That is why Mantashe claimed to have nothing to do with Molefe’s nomination.
Molefe, who is expected to be sworn in as a MP on Wednesday, is rumoured to be heading for a cabinet post, should President Jacob Zuma reshuffle his ministers.
The North West decision, under the leadership of Supra Mahumapelo, to take Molefe to parliament has shown the cracks in the ANC in the province.
The provincial leadership, especially Mahumapelo, are seen to be part of a faction that supports Zuma.
Molefe’s announcement happened on the day the ANC Youth League called for Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to resign.
Mahumapelo is also under fire from opposition parties for his decision to build a six-metre bronze statue of Zuma.
The DA in North West said the statue’s millions would be better spent on completing the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) probe into the Marikana massacre.
“Since 2016, the Ipid has begged parliament for R5-million to fund the remainder of its Marikana investigation, in line with the Farlam Commission remedial action, yet no funds have been available for this,” DA leader Joe McGluwa said.