DURBAN - SOME disgruntled ANC members in eThekwini have threatened to disrupt local government elections, accusing the party of imposing candidates on them.
Angry members from Ward 77, which includes parts of Chatsworth and Welbedacht, stormed the party’s offices at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Monday while the party regional leadership was finalising the lists.
The lists were submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa before last night’s deadline.
Siboniso Mhlongo, of Ward 77, told the Daily News that the candidates were not elected by the community. Mhlongo was there to check the list to see whose name had been written down without their consent. He said he was surprised to find the names of other candidates. He said they would rather have no councillor in their ward than have someone who was imposed on them by the regional leadership.
“These candidates were the regional leadership’s choice. We will not vote for people who were imposed on us,” said Mhlongo.
At the Chatsworth Bottlebrush informal settlement, ward chairperson Vikelwa Masebenza and the secretary, Falakhe Mhlongo, were allegedly attacked by members for supporting Ward 71 councillor Previn Vedan. During a meeting on Wednesday Mhlongo was captured on video being slapped by a member of the ward. Mhlongo confirmed the incident. He opened a case with the Chatsworth police. Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said a case of assault was being investigated by the Chatsworth SAPS.
Vedan said he was happy with the support he received from his local branch. He said he received 400 votes. In Lamontville’s Ward 75, members also accused the branch leadership of rigging the process to elect a candidate. Sources, who asked to remain anonymous, said the ANC was not going to win the ward because the person that would be the candidate had nominated himself. They accused the regional and provincial leadership of not resolving the problems reported to them by the branches.
Kwazi Mshengu, the eThekwini regional task team convener, said some branches did not dispute the outcomes of their branch general meetings. He said they disputed them at a later stage. He said they had to go with a name elected at the branch general meeting even if there was no community meeting.
Daily News