ANC North West demands disbandment of Interim Provincial Committee

The African National Congress (ANC) members from across the four regions of the North West have handed over a memorandum to the party’s provincial offices in Mahikeng, demanding the disbandment of the ANC Interim Provincial Committee (IPC).

They accuse the committee of sowing divisions in the province.

The members also blame the committee for unresolved disputes over the nomination of ANC candidates for the local government elections.

Speaking on behalf of the disgruntled members, former ANC Secretary in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Lopang Rothman says they do not have confidence in the IPC.

“Our issues mainly surround the IPC of the North West. You’d remember that there is a court order that indicated and instructed that the IPC of the North West should be dissolved by the NEC and that did not happen.  Unfortunately, the IPC continues to operate in our province. We would not appreciate that this IPC should be the one facilitating processes towards both regional and provincial conferences,” says Rothman.

Disgruntled ANC members at a North West municipality take the party to court:

In the Free State, some disgruntled ANC members have accused the party’s Interim Provincial Committee of corruption and destabilising the party.

They say some have been using community organisations to discredit other members of the party.

The members are also complaining about the deployment within the branches as well as in municipalities in the province.

A group of members picketed outside the Free State ANC’s offices in Bloemfontein.

One member says, “We are aware that our leadership is using the ANC for deployment and to corrupt our municipalities, to also enrich themselves for their own selfish interests. They are paying political organisations or creating organisations outside the ANC for these organisations to disrupt the municipality.”

Another says, “What we want now, we want the region, the leaders of the ANC to recognise the councillor of the community, the councillor that has been chosen by the community. If the regional leadership of the ANC fails to resolve this issue with think [the] president must come.”

Action will be taken against party members

In Limpopo, the re-elected regional chairperson of the ANC in Vhembe , Tshitereke Matibe says action will be taken against party members not accepting the outcome of the conference.

Matibe was addressing more than 300 delegates on the last day of the conference at Nandoni Dam outside Thohoyandou.

He says the newly elected leadership must unite the region.

“One the key mandate of the new elected leadership is to unite comrade who were sharing contrary views coming to this conference. We will not be tolerating wrong tendencies of undermining the elected leadership. Remedial action will be taken against those who are seen not accepting the outcome. Comrades being given this opportunity to lead should not be used as [the] platform to fight positions,” says Matibe.

Additional reporting by Makgala Masiteng and Michael Makungo.