Patronage centralised control of resources; and doubts over preparations for 2011 local government elections are some of the reasons that led to the disbandment of the ANC leadership in the Western Cape.
Exactly a year after the ANC's national executive committee (NEC) fired former premier Ebrahim Rasool, it axed his long-time nemesis, provincial chairman Mcebisi Skwatsha, and his controversially elected provincial executive council (PEC).
Informing ANC members of the decision, ANC NEC member Jeremy Cronin told an extraordinary meeting of ANC branches at Garlandale High School in Athlone on Sunday that the provincial executive committee (PEC) had been removed because of a list of issues raised by ANC regions.
Conspicuous by its absence was the top provincial leadership.
Besides Lynne Brown, none of the top five - Skwatsha, secretary Sipho Kroma, deputy secretary Max Ozinsky and treasurer Songezo Mjongile was present.
Skwatsh,a who was in the Eastern Cape, did not attend either the NEC meeting nor Sunday's meeting in Athlone.
Cronin said some of the issues raised by the regions to the national working committee (NWC) were that the ANC youth and women's leagues were weak in all the regions; rural regions felt marginalised; the control of resources and deployment were centralised; and patronage in the ANC.
These were the findings by several ANC national leaders after a fact-finding mission to the Western Cape.
Cronin said to loud cheers: "Based on these matters the NEC resolved that the PEC of the Western Cape be disbanded."
He said, however, that the PEC's dissolution was not one faction's victory over another.
No names had been singled out and everyone, including NEC deployees, was responsible for the ANC's problems in the province, he said.
A provincial task team would be appointed within the next 14 days to run the day-to-day issues of the ANC in the province, and to prepare for an elective conference to be held within nine months. said Cronin.