/ 8 August 2006

Jiyane disputes Nadeco ‘suspension’

National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) leader Ziba Jiyane has disputed his ”suspension” on Tuesday by the national executive committee (NEC) of his party.

He said the members of the NEC seeking to depose him would be expelled.

The NEC is ”an old structure” that was not mentioned in the party’s constitution, Jiyane told the South African Press Association.

The committee announced its decision over the party leader at a press conference in Durban.

At the event, attended by several members of the NEC, the party’s deputy president Lucky Nkosi read out a statement announcing Jiyane’s ”suspension”, as well as that of Jabulani Maphalala.

”We, as the registered office bearers of Nadeco, have felt that it is our duty to try and reinstate order and stability in our party. We therefore want to announce that we have resolved to suspend Mr Ziba Jiyane, Professor Maphalala and their bogus committee for contravening the Nadeco constitution,” said Nkosi.

Jiyane dissolved the NEC last month, replacing it with a six-member interim federal council headed by himself.

The council excluded national chairperson Hawu Mbatha and MPs Chris Ngiba, Vincent Ngema and Makhosazana Mdlalose.

Jiyane said on Tuesday he established the NEC to assist with decision-making in the party.

He said those at the press conference, including Nkosi, were unhappy that they had not been elected to the interim federal council.

”There is nothing in the [Nadeco] constitution called the NEC. I established the NEC to help with decision-making. But it deadlocked, twice. The structure they cling to is an old one.”

He said the constitution referred to a federal council, but because there had been no national congress, the current council was an interim council.

A federal council will be elected later in the year when a national congress has been held.

Those claiming to belong to the NEC will be expelled from the party, Jiyane said.

On Monday, he announced the suspension of Ngiba, Ngema and Mbatha.

Nkosi said Jiyane had been mandated to run a daily management committee, which was to manage the party on a daily basis, but NEC would still direct policy.

The party has been divided into two camps: those backing Jiyane and those backing Reverend Hawu Mbatha.

Jiyane and Mbatha have been at odds over who should replace John Aulsebrook in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. Aulsebrook died in a motorcycle crash two months ago.

Jiyane’s meeting last week with Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi has also raised the ire of some Nadeco members.

Nadeco was formed in September last year after Jiyane was axed by the IFP for having implied that Buthelezi was a dictator.

The party was the biggest beneficiary of last year’s floor-crossing period with four national MPs and four provincial ministers joining the party. Seven came from the IFP and Mbatha from the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

Mbatha left the ACDP to join Nadeco. — Sapa