Wally Mbhele
The number of African National Congress branches in Gauteng has risen dramatically from 400 to about 500 in recent weeks, a development interpreted by some members as a bid to load the dice against their favourite contender for the position of a new provincial chair, advocate Mathole Motshekga.
This startling growth came as the ANCs leadership decided to extend the period for nominating a new ANC provincial chair sparking another storm among branches who this week described it as yet another attempt by the leadership to influence the outcome of the process. This has come after several senior ANC leaders, allegedly approached to replace MEC for Health, Amos Masondo, as candidates in the race for the ANC chairmanship, declined to take up the offer.
Masondo is seemingly losing the election and has become reluctant to continue contesting the position. At one stage he asked to step down from the previous premiership race but was persuaded not to. The process to choose the new Gauteng premier was postponed when the ANC provincial executive committee refused to endorse Motshekga as the new premier after he was overwhelmingly voted for by most of the branches.
Subsequent to this political fiasco, the provincial general council meeting of all Gauteng branches decided to start the process from scratch. This time it was agreed that the process will have to start with the election of a new provincial chair, who will likely become premier automatically, subject to such a decision being taken at the ANCs December conference.
Motshekga was widely nominated by Gauteng ANC regions to take over from Tokyo Sexwale as premier but his ascendancy was not supported by his provincial executive colleagues.
Among those who have declined to stand, according to Mail & Guardian sources, are chair of the Finance and Fiscal Commission, Murphy Morobe, Deputy Minister of Education Smangaliso Mkhatshwa and a leading ANC parliamentarian, Thenjiwe Mthintso. Another surprise candidate to emerge this week is MEC for Safety and Security, Jessie Duarte. She has been serving on the ANC task team assigned to co-ordinate the previously aborted election of a premier to replace Sexwale.
The process of nominating the new chair started in earnest last weekend among 300 branches. It is understood that at the close of nominations on Monday, it was clear that the branches continued to favour Motshekga when a decision to extend nominations was taken.
Critics of the decision told the M&G that the decision was not taken at a proper political meeting of ANC structures in Gauteng it was an administrative decision.
With nominations, you dont need a 100% response from the branches, so the argument that there was a poor response lacks substance and logic, said a senior member of the ANC.
If the reason is to get another candidate to challenge Motshekga, then there is no possibility of someone surfacing at such a late stage to do that, said a source from the branches.
According to a statement from the ANC provincial office, the decision was deferred because of the poor response from the East Rand, Vaal Triangle and Greater Johannesburg branches.
Representative Reuben Saunders could not say why names have not been forwarded for election, but said a number of branches had held meetings during the past few days to finalise their nominees. But impeccable sources have told the M&G that suspicions have been heightened by the fact that since the decision to postpone the selection of a new premier, more branches have mushroomed in Gauteng.
The balance of power was not in their [the leaderships] favour. That is why theres a call for the extension of the nominations. This process is still being manipulated from within, said a source from the East Rand.
With only one week left before the crucial election, it remains to be seen if the democratic process will be allowed to continue with only Masondo and Motshekga in the running.