Quinton Mtyala
DESPITE being cleared by police and the public prosecution service over sexual harassment allegations, ANC Western Cape chairperson Marius Fransman is still not welcome at the party’s local government elections campaign events.
Speaking before the ANC’s local government elections manifesto launch on Sunday, where Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will be delivering the main address, ANC deputy provincial secretary Thandi Manikivana said Fransman had not yet been cleared by the party’s integrity committee.
“We’re still waiting for them to give the green light,” said Manikivana. Fransman had been asked to “step aside” after a police complaint from 21-year-old Stellenbosch woman Louisa Wynand that he had sexually harassed her while they were driving to Rustenburg in January to celebrate the ANC’s anniversary.
ANC Western Cape elections co-ordinator Lulama Mvimbi said the party would be contesting all wards in the province, and that it had established voting district teams, branch elections teams, and local and regional teams.
He said the ANC’s provincial manifesto would be informed by the national document it launched in April in Port Elizabeth.
“There will be no contradiction with what is in the national manifesto. All things which are in the national manifesto will be addressed and customised, adapted to the Western Cape… That manifesto is generally a service-delivery-oriented manifesto,” said Mvimbi.
Ramaphosa’s speech will focus on how the party will deliver services to the people of the Western Cape, “equally, equitably, and irrespective of their colour or race”, Mvimbi said.
“We are actually offering the people of the Western Cape an alternative government from the DA… For more than 10 years now, the people of the Western Cape have been subjected to this oppressive rule of the DA, so our manifesto is to try to liberate the people of the Western Cape from the oppressive shackles of the Democratic Alliance.”
The party’s campaign would enter its “mayihlome” (call to arms) phase, which means an intensification of voter engagement through various programmes.
This includes “ANC Fridays”, which launches tomorrow; door-to-door canvassing; blitzes, mini-rallies and engaging voters on print, broadcast, and social media platforms.
With several protests in recent weeks over the ANC’s list-selection process, with several aggrieved supporters voicing their dissatisfaction, Manikivana said the party’s provincial list committee was dealing with appeals.
She said the submission of the list to the Independent Electoral Commission would be done electronically.
“Nothing has been finalised. The issue of the list process with the ANC comrades, all over nationally (is not yet complete). Even the provincial secretary (Faiez Jacobs) has gone back to the NLC (national list committee) so that the list can eventually, after registration (with the IEC), be issued out for everyone to see,” said Manikivana.