Johannesburg - Plans to pay R12 million in debt, drafting a party constitution, and policy cohesion were key issues presented in a preliminary scoping report on the health of AgangSA, leader Mamphela Ramphele said on Thursday.
AgangSA's national executive committee (NEC) received the report on Thursday, a week after the team was appointed, she said in a statement.
“As party president, together with members of the NEC, I welcomed the report to help us take stock of the issues facing the party.
“The near-term issues must be addressed for the long-term future of Agang to be secured.”
This month the party faced internal disputes and factionalism over a bank account opened to receive a refund from the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC), believed to be around R200 000.
Ramphele and AgangSA chairman Mike Tshishonga opened separate fraud cases with police over the account and the party's NEC was dissolved.
Ramphele received a lawyer's letter demanding NEC members be reinstated, and the party responded that they needed only to attend NEC meetings and carry out their duties to retain their roles.
The task team was appointed last week to look into staff suspensions, the allegations of irregularities, governance issues, and the party's financial status.
On Thursday Ramphele said the team's preliminary scoping report identified issues requiring immediate attention.
These included discussing a payment plan for some R12m debt and establishing the party's parliamentary office to ensure party policies were “correctly communicated as led by a policy committee”.
Other matters, such as the appointment of a team to finalise the AgangSA constitution, setting up a disciplinary committee meeting about suspensions, and reconstituting the NEC to include provincial structures were also identified as priorities.
The party would invite policy-making and democracy groups to support it in establishing Agang SA's parliamentary office.
“Members have given the NEC a clear directive that it should purify and rebuild the organisation to secure its future,” Ramphele said.
“In the coming three weeks, the task team will engage provincial structures to enable members to shape the future of Agang in a consultative and empowering manner.”
The team's final report would be presented on July 19.
Last week it was reported that Tshishonga accused Ramphele of having direct access to party funds, and that she opened the account to access the IEC deposit without a mandate from the party.
Tshishonga claimed his signature appeared on the bank account's paperwork without his knowledge. - Sapa