ANC infighting over alleged candidate list manipulation
· Citizen
ANC members in Dr WB Rubusana region in KuGompo in the Eastern Cape are up in arms against what they claim is manipulation of branch nominations for council candidates in the upcoming local government elections.
The members are also fighting against the alleged victimisation of ANC regional deputy chair Malibongwe Mfazwe by fellow leaders in the regional structure.
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They allege the deputy is being targeted because he opposes the manipulation.
Mfazwe is seen as being disloyal to fellow regional executive committee members and a faction led by chair Princess Faku, who is mayor of Buffalo City metro municipality.
The two are said not to see eye to eye about the way forward in the nomination of council candidates, which is allegedly being manipulated so it is dominated by Faku’s camp.
A group of concerned members have claimed that Mfazwe was placed at number 10 on the consolidated ANC PR list, though he was nominated by more than 33 ANC branches. The disgruntled members allege Mfazwe is being sidelined because of his political differences with Faku.
“This placement was influenced by political differences between Mfazwe and regional chair Faku,” said a member who did not want to be named.
Empty nomination forms allegedly used
A directive allegedly came from the top to branches to submit empty nomination forms in order to facilitate the favoured candidates, whose names would be filled in after the branch general meeting.
This was allegedly designed to enable the manipulation of the outcomes.
The members claimed that they have evidence in the form of minutes, attendance registers and nomination forms from the 33 branches that nominated Mfazwe.
They offered to submit this evidence should the ANC leadership request it.
“Should internal ANC processes fail to resolve this matter within a reasonable period, we reserve the right to approach the high court to interdict the flawed and manipulated candidate selection processes.”
The members said they had decided to take action to challenge the irregularities as an expression of their commitment to the party.
ANC region has history of infighting
The region is no stranger to ANC infighting and the rigging of election processes.
Recently, some members took the party’s provincial and national structures to court over the alleged manipulation of the outcomes of branch general meetings.