The African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the party’s Mpumalanga 13th elective conference in eMalahleni later on Sunday.
Mandla Ndlovu was elected the new provincial chairperson on Saturday, with Speedy Mashilo as his deputy, Muzi Chirwa as the secretary and Lindiwe Ntshalintshali as the deputy secretary.
Mandla Msibi is the new treasurer but he’s following the ANC’s step aside rule due to his pending murder case.
Delegates attending the conference have expressed satisfaction with the results of the voting.
“We are happy with the top five the ANC has spoken; the ANC has won; there are no losses in the ANC. The ANC itself has won. I think delegates have spoken,” says one ANC delegate.
Another one adds, “Very happy to do what has been doing best because now he is being elected formally. So now he is going to up the game from where he was he was doing so well. I think that is why people then wanted him to come in officially to occupy the position.”
‘It’s now time to unite’
Lucky Ndinisa says he has accepted defeat after losing to Mandla Ndlovu. He says it’s now time to unite behind the newly-elected ANC provincial leadership.
“We want to accept the outcomes of this conference unreservedly, and we are happy that finally, we have got a fully-fledged structure of the ANC in Mpumalanga. And we want to say that we will take this opportune moment and dismantle all the lobby groups that we have and rally behind this newly elected leadership of the ANC. And once again, congratulations to the newly elected leadership of the ANC.”
‘Step side rule’
The ANC says it’s yet to engage with Msibi regarding his news status as the Mpumalanga party treasurer. ANC National Executive Committee member Nathi Mthethwa says this is because Msibi is still on the party’s step side rule. Msibi is facing two counts of murder and one of attempted murder.
Mthethwa says they will soon meet with Msibi following his election.
“We will go back to the resolution of the 54th national conference of the stepping aside. But here, in this province and here, in particular, we don’t have to do that precisely because comrade Mandla as comrade Gweni has said has already stepped aside. We cannot have a situation when we are electing a leadership we immediately have a dysfunctional structure at the top level which is the top five.”
‘Transparent process’
ANC NEC member, Nomvula Mokonyane, says the outcome of the Mpumalanga elective conference confirms the wishes and decisions of the ANC branches in the province. Mokonyane says now is the time for the ANC in Mpumalanga to forge unity.
“This process of the ANC has been very transparent. Remember what happened here the conference is a process of what started in branch these comrades’ names were considered by 305 branches in Mpumalanga, what it shows is the internal democratic process of the ANC.”
Unity is the only song that the delegates will be singing after this conference ends on Sunday when the new chairperson Mandla Ndlovu addresses the delegates and president Cyril Ramaphosa officially closes the conference.
