Rustenburg - Marikana activist Napoleon Webster is a member of Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) in good standing, his branch maintains, despite the North West provincial leadership stating that he was not a member.
"As far as I know he [Napoleon Webster] is a member in good standing of the EFF in Marikana," Mirranda Zimba Bosanathi, the secretary of the EFF in ward 32 insisted on Monday.
"I was the secretary of the ward, I did not receive any information that I should not allow him back in the EFF, according to my submission Napoleon is a member in good standing. I am the one who filled in his membership form then [I] submitted it..."
Webster's EFF membership status was brought up by the North West chairperson Matshidiso Botswe on a statement dated November 22.
"The Economic Freedom Fighters in North West province would like to categorically state that Napoleon Webster is not a member of the EFF. Mr Webster is one part of the people who left the EFF to join other political formation. His actions violated a standing resolution of the central command team, that says no one shall be readmitted into the EFF after voluntary resignation from the party," Botswe stated.
"It is against this background that the EFF would like to reiterate its position that those who left EFF in the past remain excluded for life."
The Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) announced in July 2017 that Webster would serve as a proportional representative (PR) councillor for the party in the Rustenburg local municipality, as a replacement for the late Rocky Malebana-Metsing on January 17. Struggle stalwart Malebana-Metsing died on November 23, 2016.
He was registered with the Electoral Commission on January 17, and could not take up his seat in the council as he was arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Sabata Petros Chale. The North West High Court struck the case from the roll.
The F4SD recalled him and on August 13, he was ordered to leave a council meeting as he was no longer a councillor.
He took the party court but, lost. He then returned to the EFF in Marikana.
Webster referred all queries about his membership to the branch leaders of the EFF in Marikana.