African National Congress (ANC) Deputy President David Mabuza has officially launched the party’s Thuma-Mina election campaign in the North West. He was accompanied by the party’s head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, and North West ANC Chairperson, Supra Mahumapelo.
Mabuza has appealed for unity in the deeply-divided ANC Provincial Executive Committee. Divisions in the ANC in the North West have affected the highest structure of the party as well as the branches. Some have even suggested that the current PEC led by a faction supporting Supra Mahumapelo be dissolved.
Mabuza however appealed for unity during the launch of the party’s election campaign. He was quick to also appeal to the party’s Provincial Executive Committee to give space to the current Premier, Job Mokgoro who does not sit on PEC meetings to deal with administrative challenges.
Mabuza has dismissed claims that two centres of power could be at play here. “Politically we will discuss with the PEC, of course I do not see the challenge for them to reach an amicable conclusion. The ANC also need to fix itself. You were talking to factions within and that is the matter the ANC need to attend and the ANC needs to give space to the Premier to deal with administrative issues. Since the whole day I was walking with them I did not see any tension. They know what we want from them as chairperson and as Premier and that is what we are expecting from them.”
Divisions played themselves out this past weekend when Mahumapelo addressed the party’s ANC Youth Rally, where his deputy Sello Lehari was being attacked. Lehari was addressing another gathering at a different venue amid growing fears that the ANC in the North West could lose large numbers of votes in next year’s elections.
Head of ANC elections, Fikile Mbalula, says he is aware of the factions, and if they persist they will have to institute a national intervention. “Unity of the organisation is like a road under construction. I am happy that all of us, we are agreeing that we intensify our work, we bring our work, we bring unity even those that are coming after us in a matter of unity in the province. As people raise matters about me I should not feel comfortable when people talk about me. We are bringing comrades together so we bring unity, and the masses will work together to bring unity.”
Mahumapelo, says they are trying to bring all members together, to form a united front going into next year’s elections.
“We are very much impatient with factions we have given comrades and our structures a clear mandate of what needs to be done to unite the province. If they fail to unite the province, we will find other solutions.”
Meanwhile, several residents were given title deeds as part of the ANC campaign. Deputy President David Mabuza says they will remain responsive to all challenges raised by the people. Click below for more on the story:
