The African National Congress (ANC) plans to examine the state of the organisation in the country following allegations that service delivery protests in Mpumalanga were caused by factionalism and divisions in the party.
”The branches also told the [national working committee] that the reasons … for the service delivery protests phenomenon are in the main factionalism and divisions within the ANC in the province,” secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said in a statement on Tuesday.
It was issued after a two-day meeting in the province attended by the national working committee (NWC), the provincial executive committee (PEC) and branches.
At the ANC meeting, delegates pinpointed ”the incapacity of some municipal councillors to first do their work” and keep communities informed of what they were doing or are unable to do.
There were also complaints of moving councillors around, with inexperienced councillors being brought in after local government elections.
The Lekwa Municipality in Standerton was recently placed under administration, and the mayor and councillors removed, after the ANC stepped in following service delivery protests.
Thaba Chweu, Mkhondo, Emalahleni, Dipaleseng, Steve Tshwete, Mbombela, Albert Luthuli, Thembisile Hani and Pixley Ka Seme were among the municipalities that had seen unrest by residents with dashed expectations for housing, water, schools and electricity.
Mpumalanga cooperative governance minister Norman Mokoena said in October that many of the province’s municipalities were on the brink of collapse, with consumer debt put at about R1,6-billion.
According to a report he released, political tensions induced by business interests triggered instability and led to poor accountability.
Ward committees did not work properly, councillors did not call public meetings, and there was a high vacancy rate at municipalities.
The ANC would appoint a team to investigate allegations of divisions and factionalism and the NWC would consider the resulting report-back on how to proceed in the province.
The NWC would also visit other provinces, and would convene a special national executive committee meeting where a report would be tabled and a discussion undertaken on the state of the organisation in the entire country.
”This discussion will inform the programme of organisational renewal with specific focus on strengthening the structures of the ANC.”
Last year the ANC weathered a breakaway of stalwarts such as Terror Lekota and Mbhazima Shilowa, who formed the Congress of the People (Cope) in the face of open support for ousted party president Thabo Mbeki.
According to a copy of a recent speech by ANC NEC member and member of Parliament Ngoako Ramatlhodi, the real battles within the party took place at branch level, from where people were elected to higher office.
”In many instances comrades use their positions in official structures as a ladder to positions in government. Hence, the titanic contests for branch leadership,” read the extract posted on the party’s website.
He said the direct selection of councillors would immediately redefine the role of an ANC branch and restore it to its original mandate.
”In this regard, the role of the ANC branch would be to infuse the necessary political consciousness in the deployed councillors in order for them to understand and to change the political environment for the better.” — Sapa