Johannesburg - The ANC in Gauteng faces more trouble after some of its key members failed to secure seats in the provincial legislature due to a massive drop in voter support.
Now, key people who played prominent roles in the 2009 victory of at least 64 percent support, find themselves out in the cold with no likelihood of a seat in the legislature or Parliament.
The most prominent of them is Sipho Makama, who was chairman of the standing committee on public accounts in the legislature. Makama was listed number 47 on the Gauteng list but the party managed to secure only 40 seats.
Other people who failed to secure seats were Mafika Mgcina, chairman of the standing committee on economic development; Thuli Nkabinde, who chaired the standing committee on transport; Nokuthula Sikakane, the chairwoman of agriculture, rural development and land reform; Joachim Boers, who headed the infrastructure development committee; rules committee chairwoman Refilwe Letwaba; and rules committee whip Priscilla Masepe.
Mgcina was number 42 on the list and all the others followed him.
ANC spokesman Nkenke Kekana said his party had already decided “on the members of the provincial legislature and Parliament who will represent the ANC in Gauteng”.
“The ANC has been allocated 40 seats in the legislature and 27 in the National Assembly. The PEC also decided on the ANC Gauteng’s permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces.”
Kekana, however, did not answer several questions about the future of Makama and the others.
He also did not respond to claims that SACP and Cosatu members in Gauteng were also demanding key positions for their members, such as SACP secretary Jacob Mamabolo, Cosatu chairman Phutas Tseki and National Education Health and Allied Workers Union leader Joe Mpisi.
The Star