Good standing of PEC members questioned

THE status of some ANC provincial executive members in the Eastern Cape has come under scrutiny after it emerged that some had left the party to join the Congress of the People (COPE)‚ meaning their service was broken and they did not meet the criteria for election.

Some of those being questioned are ANC members removed from their positions in government after being implicated in the Nelson Mandela funeral scandal.

These include PEC member Thabo Matiwane‚ provincial treasurer Babalo Madikizela and former senior Buffalo City politicians who were removed by the Integrity Commission.

Matiwane and Madikizela reportedly left the ANC to join COPE when a group aligned to Thabo Mbeki broke ranks with the ANC to form the Mosiuoa Lekota-led opposition party.

In a letter to Luthuli House and to Eastern Cape ANC headquarters‚ Calata House‚ ANC Mnquma sub-region member Sonwabo Nogqala complained that Matiwane’s election to the PEC should be reviewed.

It was, he said “contrary to provisions of ANC constitution Rule 19.3‚ which state that for a member to be nominated/elected he must be a member in good standing for seven years”.

“He does not meet the constitutional prescription.”

Matiwane is also from the Mnquma sub-region and was a housing head in Buffalo City.

He resigned in 2016 after city manager Andile Fani was ousted by the ANC-led council.

Contacted for comment, Matiwane referred questions to ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukaitobi.

Ngcukaitobi said all the ANC members elected to the PEC were eligible.

“To elect national leadership you need unbroken service for 10 years.

“COPE was established about 10 years ago.

“The unbroken service of these PEC members is on record since the collapse of COPE‚” Ngcukaitobi said. Cope was formed in December 2008. Another ANC official on the PEC said Madikizela’s status also needed to be questioned as he had also joined COPE.

“There are people in leadership who are not supposed to be there.

Madikizela said he had served in many ANC structures since leaving COPE.

Another source said former Buffalo City Metropole region secretary Pumlani Mkolo had been sacked over the Mandela funeral scandal.

ANC national spokesman Pule Mabe was not immediately available for comment. – TimesLIVE