Johannesburg – Hundreds of ANC members from the Vhembe region in Limpopo protested outside the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House in Joburg over alleged manipulation of the candidates list for mayoral positions.
The aggrieved members descended just after 3pm and caused major traffic disruptions, accusing their regional leadership, including councillor Florence Radzilane of having played an instrumental role in the “illegal selection of mayoral candidates” for the regional municipalities of Thulamela, Collins Chabane, Musina, Makhado and the Vhembe District Municipality.
Most of these municipalities garnered more than 85% electoral support for the ANC after the November 1 municipal elections.
Group spokesperson Frank Chililo said the selection of mayoral candidates by their regional executive was flawed, and they wanted the intervention of the ANC in Luthuli House.
Video: Ntombi Nkosi/IOL Politics
“We raised the matter with the Limpopo provincial leadership but they ignored our complaints. It is for that reason that we travelled from Limpopo to Joburg to ask our national office bearers to look into the matter ahead of the interviews,” Chililo said.
They accused their regional leadership of having appointed their friends, girlfriends and family members to serve as mayoral candidates.
According to Chililo, the regional executive was supposed to do the initial selection and then refer the matter to the provincial leadership for final ratification, but that process was not followed, a claim vehemently denied by the provincial leadership.
ANC Limpopo spokesperson Donald Selamolela confirmed the presence of its Vhembe regional members and the reason for their protest at Luthuli House.
Video: Ntombi Nkosi/IOL Politics
Selamolela also confirmed that the protesters had raised their grievance with the provincial body, but said that the aggrieved members marched to the party’s national headquarters while the Limpopo leadership was addressing their complaints.
“We want to confirm that the provincial leadership was satisfied with measures taken by the Vhembe regional leadership to select those mayoral candidates. All of them were elected and served on the party’s PR list during the municipal elections,” Selamolela said.
A similar complaint was lodged with the ANC top brass by Gauteng ANC’s West Rand region on Wednesday. The Gauteng region have also asked the party’s top brass not to consider the selection of candidates by the ANC regional executive.
But the ANC West Rand regional spokesperson Zaza Machakela has denied claims of wrong doing against them.
“In our deliberations we reflected on the following areas such as political leadership, local government service drivers, local economic development and financial accountability and sustainability, among others. We further considered tertiary level qualification or equivalent, local government experience, any other level of government and also experience in public institutions or leadership at executive level in any other non-governmental institution,” Machakela said.
Video: Ntombi Nkosi/IOL Politics
He said each of the municipalities of Merafong, Mogale City, Rand West and West Rand District Municipalities submitted a list of three names for consideration by the ANC Gauteng executive committee (PEC).
“The matter in question is still with the PEC and we would want to allow this structure to conclude its business before we issue an opinion on this subject. We wish to advise comrades to verify their information before making such serious allegations,” Machakela said.
Political Bureau