Jaspreet Kindra
Only three of the nine provinces are likely to elect provincial African National Congress office-bearers this year, amid a chaotic scenario where branches are being dissolved and reestablished in line with new municipal boundaries.
ANC spokesperson Nomfanelo Mayosi-Kota says the Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng are the only provinces likely to stage conferences this year, the first two next month. ANC officials in the North West are, however, confident that their conference will also go ahead within weeks.
Branch reorganisation has been bedevilled by factional campaigning ahead of the conferences, which will elect new chairpersons and their deputies, secretaries and their deputies, and treasurers in all provinces.
Since 1994 provincial power struggles have repeatedly led to the creation of fictitious branches to bolster conference support for certain candidates. The new municipal demarcation and the decision of the ANC’s Mafikeng conference to realign branch structures with new boundaries has thrown up fresh opportunities for gerrymandering.
The Mail & Guardian has learned that KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape recently dissolved all branches to start reorganising afresh.
ANC head of elections Peter Mokaba said: “Old factions die hard. There are factions who are protecting certain people’s interests.”
Kota argues the central problem is that provinces have underestimated the work needed to prepare for conferences.
Eastern Cape which has suffered historically from poor administration is cited as a province bogged down by the enormity of reorganisation.
In KwaZulu-Natal some ANC leaders are understood to have set up more than the stipulated one branch per municipal ward. Each branch is entitled to two delegates, and the minimum branch membership is 100.
Party sources revealed that in KwaMashu, a municipal ward with 900 members had been broken into nine branches, apparently to boost the chances of provincial party chairperson S’bu Ndebele.
Branches have been named after ANC leaders including Ndebele. The practice has now been banned.
Meanwhile, party officials in Mpumalanga dispute claims that the reorganisation of branches is in a state of disarray because of long-standing factional conflict between groups opposed to and supporting former premier Matthews Phosa.
ANC sources in Mpumalanga say lobbying has intensified amid strong speculation that a recent deployee from Parliament, Thabang Makwetla, is the party leadership’s favoured candidate for provincial party chair.
“Makwetla is an outsider who is viewed in the same light as [current premier and provincial chairperson] Ndaweni Mahlangu. Mahlangu was also deployed by the national leadership,” said a source.
There are strong rumours that Phosa could challenge for the party chair’s position. Sources said former Phosa supporters and anti-Makwetla elements were rallying round the former premier.
Phosa said he had been approached to stand by a number of people in the province but declined to reveal his intentions. “I do not answer hypothetical questions,” he said.
In the North West, ANC Women’s League deputy president Thandi Modise is seen as a potential challenger for the provincial leadership.
Modise, who chairs Parliament’s defence committee, said she had not made up her mind on whether to stand. “The ANC is a democratic organisation, anyone who wishes to stand has the right to do so.”
In a surprise development, provincial hopeful in Gauteng, MEC for Sports Mondli Gungubele, was defeated in his bid for the East Rand regional chairperson’s position two weeks ago.
South African Communist Party member and MPL Dumisa Nkosi trounced Gungubele in what is seen as a victory for the Mbhazima Shilowa camp.
A report on the provinces’ progress in establishing branches will be discussed at the ANC’s national executive committee meeting next weekend.