Durban - The ANC’s national executive committee has given the nod to its provincial structure in KwaZulu-Natal to continue barring members of regional task teams (RTTs) from voting during elective conferences.
However, Luthuli House, head office of the governing party, said this nod is temporary, as in the future there will be a uniform approach to how RTTs are constituted.
RTTs are usually formed when the three-year term of a regional executive committee has expired and they are put in office to prepare for elective conferences.
With factionalism rife in the party’s structures, RTTs usually include members of all factions so that everyone feels represented.
The issue of RTT members not voting came to head early last month during the elective conference of the eThekwini region which was won by Zandile Gumede and her slate. The issue nearly collapsed the fiercely contested conference when the Thabani Nyawose slate wanted RTT members to have voting rights.
The Gumede slate refused, saying there was a precedent in other regions that RTT members do not vote. They also argued that allowing them to vote would taint the results as some members of the structure, like its convener, Kwazi Mshengu, were not from the eThekwini region.
In the end, it was agreed that the RTT should not vote and the Nyawose slate felt cheated as it lost a significant number of votes.
Now, in a letter written by acting secretary-general, Paul Mashatile, to KwaZulu-Natal provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, the matter has been settled.
“Following the discussion and decision taken by the NEC over the weekend, on the voting status of interim structures, the SGO (secretary-general office) is working on a uniform approach to all interim structures and the right to vote. In this regard, we will allow interim structures to vote, provided they belong to structures within the jurisdiction of their mandate,” Mashatile wrote.
He then said KwaZulu-Natal is exempted until further notice.
“However, in the instances of KZN, given how they constitute their interim structures, the province will maintain the non-voting status of the interim structures until we apply a uniform approach. The remaining regions in KZN will be subjected to the approach that was adopted by the PEC (provincial executive committee),” Mashatile wrote.
There are two outstanding regional conferences in the province. One is that of the Musa Dladla (Richards Bay- Empangeni) region and the other one is Inkosi Bhambatha (uMzinyathi), which is anchored in Dundee.
The ANC’s provincial spokesperson, Nhlakanipho Ntombela, said the outstanding regions have no RTT members who are from outside.
“Musa Dladla and Inkosi Bhambatha are the outstanding regions, they have no RTT members outside of their regions,” he said.
Daily News