/ 16 December 2012

ANC announces Free State task team members

ANC's Gwede Mantashe announced the task team names during a press briefing after an NEC meeting in Bloemfontein.
ANC's Gwede Mantashe announced the task team names during a press briefing after an NEC meeting in Bloemfontein.

On Sunday it was announced that more than half the group were members of the provincial executive committee (PEC) that was disbanded by the party leadership this weekend.

The two convenors of the team are Free State Social Development MEC Sisi Ntombela and Provincial Education MEC Tate Makgoe.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe announced the task team during a press briefing after an national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Bloemfontein before the start of the Mangaung national elective conference on Saturday night.

There are 11 women and nine men on the team, which includes Free State ANC chairman Ace Magashule – who will represent the NEC on the team.

It followed a successful court challenge by a group of six disgruntled Free State ANC members in the Constitutional Court on the legality of the provincial elective conference held in Parys in June this year.

The court held the Free State PEC was unlawful and said reasons for the decision would be delivered on Tuesday.

Members of the task team
The other team members include Mathabo Leeto, Masentle Semela, Olly Mlamleli, Sisi Mabe, Maditaba Motswehlane, Disebo Nakedi, Manana Sechoaro, Malewatle Nthedi, Lilongwe Mashiya and Joyce Mthembu.

The men on the task team are Sam Mashinini, Sibongile Besani, Madala Ntombela, Thabo Meeko, Tefetso Phitsane, Business Tshabalala and Paseka Nompondo.

The task team has until March next year to hold a new Free State ANC elective conference.

A spokesman for the group which launched the local legal action, Mpho Ramkatsa, said they had not seen the list of names of the task team.

He said they were not consulted on the task team members. "This was not in the interest of the party," he said.

Ramakatsa said the issue had two sides and the one side was left out.

He said the formation of the task team had shown that the leaders were not seriously interested in solving organisational matters in the Free State. – Sapa