By Philda Essop
Suspended Khayelitsha ANC members and their supporters could take to the streets for the third time this month unless their demands for national intervention in the ongoing Western Cape political crisis are heeded.
Angry party members have marched to the ANC's provincial offices twice following the suspension of 10 members, including four city councillors.
On Friday, a crowd called on the ANC national executive to "exorcise racism and tribalistic chauvinism that had been introduced in the party by the provincial leadership" under provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha and provincial chairperson James Ngculu.
| 'We will continue with our marches' |
Ngculu had narrowly defeated Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool for the party's provincial leadership at a conference on June 11, but allegations of vote-rigging at the conference were sent to the ANC's headquarters in Johannesburg.
About three weeks ago a brawl broke out at a ward 97 meeting in Khayelitsha, leaving a councillor with a fractured skull.
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A similar brawl broke out at Mfuleni last Sunday.
A week after the fracas in Khayelitsha, 10 ANC members were suspended.
Two weeks ago angry party members marched to the ANC's provincial office to demand the lifting of the suspensions.
In a memorandum, they said they were being discriminated against because they had supported Rasool at the June 11 conference.
On Friday the party members marched to the provincial offices for a second time, demanding reaction to their first memorandum.
"We believe there can be no consolidation of national reconciliation if the ANC and the community of the Western Cape are plunged any further into racial disharmony by the ANC leadership," the Friday statement read.
Khayelitsha party member Ntombekhaya Skondo, one of those from the Khayelitsha fracas who has been suspended, said that their protest actions would continue until their demands were met.
"We will continue with our marches to the provincial office. We have given the National Executive Committee until October 28 to respond to our memorandum. We want our suspensions to be lifted.
"It is still not clear what the charges are against us.
"People are angry. Today ward 99 in Khayelitsha was supposed to have its AGM to elect its ward candidate, but it did not inform everybody. This is a ward conference, but we were not informed.
"This is corruption.
"Members are very angry. Those who supported Rasool at the previous conference were not informed about the meeting," she said.
phildae@incape.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 8 of Cape Argus on October 17, 2005
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