Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool faces a challenge to his leadership of the African National Congress in the Western Cape at the party’s provincial congress at the weekend.
The challenge comes from the National Assembly’s health committee chairperson, James Ngculu.
Ngculu, who held senior positions in Umkhonto we Sizwe in exile, was the party’s provincial secretary from 1994 to 1998. His nomination for the top post in the provincial ANC, insiders say, conflicts with the ANC national leadership’s desire to avoid ”creating two centres of power” in the Western Cape.
The Western Cape ANC has been dogged by factional infighting that has resulted in the provincial congress being postponed six times. The province is split into two distinct camps — one supporting Rasool as chairperson, Leonard Ramatlakane as his deputy and Richard Jantjie as party secretary, and one rallying behind Ngculu, Rhoda Joemat — one of the MPs implicated in the Travelgate scandal — as deputy chairperson, and Mcebisi Skwatsha as secretary.
Rasool appears to have the backing of the national leadership, who despatched ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe to the province last month to read the riot act to his detractors. However, the opposing faction claims majority support of branches, particularly in the African townships in the Cape Metro and the Southern Cape rural districts.
Concerns have, however, emerged about Ngculu’s health. He collapsed last week after suffering a heart attack, and subsequently spent some days in intensive care.