About 70% of Pan Africanist Congress members felt the party’s recent leadership election was flawed, former general secretary Thami ka Plaatjie said on Saturday.
”We are talking about substantial numbers and it is a national spread,” he told reporters in Pretoria on behalf of the disgruntled members.
But the group had no intention of breaking away from the party. They would, instead, push for a review of the June 15 congress in Soweto where Motsoko Pheko was elected president.
”We want a review of the entire congress — not necessarily a new election,” Ka Plaatjie said.
”We still think there are internal remedies that can be explored, and will remain in the fold as a critical voice.”
Ka Plaatjie said the new leadership should be given an opportunity to respond to the concerns.
Ka Plaatjie, who also stood as president, walked out of the Soweto congress along with several other members, claiming the voting was flawed.
Those who joined him reportedly included former finance secretary Vusi Nkumane, former security secretary Mtutuzeli Mama, and former military commander Enoch Zulu.
The walkout came six months after the party suspended its previous congress in Umtata because of allegations that Pheko had smuggled in youngsters to vote him into power.
Ka Plaatjie claimed on Saturday the Soweto congress saw a similar exercise.
This time about 100 members of a Free State soccer club were brought in and paid R200 each to serve as ”bogus voters” for Pheko, Ka Plaatjie said.
”They had no idea what was going on at the meeting … and participated only when they were voting.”
Some of the soccer club members were caught out at the Soweto congress, and ”confessions were made”.
”When this matter came before congress and was subjected to a vote, the very same questionable and bogus persons participated in that vote,” Ka Plaatjie said.
”At this point we realised that there could be no end to this determination to cheat. Regardless of all this, elections were held.”
Ka Plaatjie said many delegates from the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng were stripped of their status as delegates at the Soweto congress.
They were downgraded to the level of observers without the power to vote, purportedly because they registered too late.
”On the other hand, members of the national executive committee were allowed to register a day before the congress and were allowed to be delegates.”
Ka Plaatjie said due process of open discussion were also ignored, preventing delegates from raising critical concerns.
”There were frequent interventions by security and delegates were manhandled in an attempt to intimidate them from raising questions.”
Ka Plaatjie’s media briefing was held ahead of a caucus by disgruntled members on their future plans. The meeting included branches from as far as the Free State and the Eastern Cape, he said.
”We intend petitioning for a conference within two or three months to review the events at Soweto,” Ka Plaatjie said. – Sapa