Cape Town -
The Western Cape ANC’s provincial leadership election is scheduled for the end of this month or in early May, its provincial leader Marius Fransman confirmed this week.
This comes amidst continued calls for Fransman and provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile to step down.
Fransman dismissed these calls as factionalism that the ANC wanted to get rid of.
“There is a process of branch meetings in regions and regional conferences are being conducted until mid-April,” said Fransman. These will be followed by the provincial conference.
“Key issues that the leadership at this point is engaged on is on how to unify the ANC at all levels in the Western Cape. It also wants to make away with factions at all levels in the ANC. We also want to deepen our work in the coloured community.
“The egos of leaders and comrades must not be superior to the responsibility of unity and organisational renewal.”
Fransman’s appearance at a Ses’khona People’s Rights protest outside the provincial legislature in central Cape Town this week indicated of a lack of confidence in his leadership.
Ses’khona, which has thousands of Cape Town supporters, backs the ANC. But its chairman Andile Lili spoke out against Fransman and Mjongile while on the legislature’s steps in Wale Street.
“The only obstacle for the provincial ANC is its current leadership. People are complaining about Marius and Songezo. We don’t want to work behind these people,” said Lili.
“They are after tenders. We want credible leaders. We want to work with the ANC, but these leaders frustrate us.”
Lili said Ses’khona was in contact with ANC national executive council members and avoided working with the provincial leadership.
“My interest is that we have a strong ANC under good people. They (current leaders) need to be removed and good people must be put in place,” he said.
“We are in contact with ANC ministers and they have no problem with Ses’khona.. The (provincial) ANC is going to suffer under this leadership.”
Sunday Argus