ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had to abandon the original list he had drawn up of members of a Western Cape provincial task team after it provoked an uproar during his recent visit to Cape Town, provincial ANC Youth League spokesperson Ndoda Ngemntu has claimed.
Ngemntu said this week that Mantashe had not had permission to draw up a list. The names on it had to come from the ANC’s inner leadership core, the national working committee (NWC), after consultation with all structures.
”Comrade Mantashe cannot come here and consult with the people of his choice, without a mandate from the NWC,” Ngemntu told the Mail & Guardian. ”We had to speak to the relevant people because that original list created an uproar.”
This week the NWC announced a new list, with Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana acting as its convener. It bears no resemblance to the previous 22-member list, which was leaked to party members and published by the media two weeks ago.
Although Mantashe met several leaders on the original list, the Western Cape ANC Youth League expressed its anger that Lynne Brown, former provincial premier and deputy ANC chairperson, and Sipho Kroma, the former ANC provincial secretary, were included.
The ANC provincial executive committees in the Western Cape and the North West were disbanded for promoting division and factionalism and provincial task teams will lead both provinces until the provincial conferences are called in the next nine months.
Mantashe could not be reached for comment, but Jessie Duarte, ANC national spokesperson, said she did not know where the original list of names that had sparked concern had originated.
”We have no idea where the list came from,” said Duarte before the announcement this week. ”The ANC does not work like that. What is happening is we are consulting widely and we are not ready yet to announce an interim task team for the Western Cape.”
Ngemntu said the provincial youth league welcomed the newly appointed provincial task team. ”We need a combination of different minds and characters and we think the new list reflects the Western Cape, which will help rebuild the ANC in the province.”