Don of Alex: Paul Mashatile has bided his time to have a shot at the president’s job.
Four ANC provinces are set to meet the national organising committee following this weekend’s special national executive committee (NEC) meeting where sources say allegations of attempting to manipulate processes were levelled against acting secretary general Paul Mashatile.
ANC insiders told the Mail & Guardian provincial heads of organising, and their secretaries, from Gauteng, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape are expected to attend the meeting, which also probably will be attended by Nomvula Mokonyane and Senzo Mchunu.
The meeting comes after the NEC heard how provinces were frustrated with the secretary general’s office under Mashatile’s leadership. Provincial leaders are disputing the audit report which has decreased membership ahead of the ANC’s crucial December national elective conference.
According to insiders, at least 60 branches in the Eastern Cape have “mysteriously” disappeared from the audit report which was presented to the NEC after the party closed its membership renewal window. The cut-off date was 3 September.
Once source said 60 branches being removed from the Eastern Cape membership meant the province would lose almost 20 000 of its numbers. They said this had been raised in secretariat meetings but Mashatile had failed to act.
“In the last few months, when the ANC did verification, it had about 118 000 members verified (but) all of a sudden these members are being cut out of the system. We have now been told that we have 98 000 members. About 60 branches have been cut out which makes no sense because, in the provincial conference, all these branches were in good standing,” the insider said.
According to the insider, this was raised by Eastern Cape chair Oscar Mabuyane at the NEC meeting, resulting in a resolution that the matter must be resolved before the branch nomination process opened.
Reports emerged at the weekend that calls had been made for Mashatile to resume his position as the treasurer general away from the secretary general’s office.
With the Eastern Cape delegation reduced, Mabuyane would be cut off at the knees as he is expected to run against Mashatile for the position of ANC deputy president in December. A decrease in the Eastern Cape leadership would also hurt President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose core loyalists are dominant in the province.
Mabuyane, Mashatile and Ronald Lamola have already received endorsement from provinces. Mabuyane was the first to receive his from the provincial executive committee in August, while Mashatile got his from Limpopo, and Lamola was endorsed by Mpumalanga last week.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe denied the claims made against Mashatile, saying that the meeting was intended for the secretary general’s office to do some “cleaning”.
“Sometimes you find that branches have forgotten to tell provinces how many are in the grace period. It’s a simple administrative issue. The process of membership is not easy to manipulate,” Mabe said.
Another NEC insider said part of their issue with Mashatile remaining in the secretary general’s office was the verification of delegates for the final report leading to the December elective conference.
“The reports are still to be signed. The verification of final reports, those are the ones that must be done after BGMs [branch general meetings]. There are credentials which must be top of mind. With all what he [Mashatile] has done in these other provinces, and what he was trying to do with all the desperation in the Eastern Cape, he cannot be allowed to occupy that office,” the NEC member said.
The member said another issue raised was that Mashatile had neglected his own office and some argued that the salaries of staff and fundraising for the December conference also needed his attention.
The M&G understands that 660 voting delegates from the Eastern Cape were expected to receive approval to participate in the ANC’s December conference, but the province was approved to have only about 580 delegates. The KwaZulu-Natal provincial leadership will fight to have 866 voting delegates, with Limpopo looking for 646.
Eastern Cape provincial spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela confirmed the meeting, saying it was aimed at clearing up the grey areas around membership.
“It comes to our surprise that we will be less in terms of that national number,” Magqashela said.
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