The ANC in Gauteng is facing a bruising contest for the position of provincial chairperson after the party’s Tshwane regional chairperson Dr Kgosi Maepa endorsed the province’s education MEC Panyaza Lesufi for the position.
Lesufi, who is the ANC’s deputy chairperson in Gauteng, was in Tshwane yesterday campaigning for the provincial leadership.
“We don’t have a problem with Panyaza. The event is being held by the outgoing chairperson (Maepa) and his faction. The region is not part of our region,” said the ANC’s Tshwane regional secretary, Bonzo Modise.
The event was hosted by Maepa in Atteridgeville, but Modise distanced the party from it.
“We don’t have such a programme, it’s his personal programme. We don’t have a problem with Panyaza, but we are not involved (in the campaign programme),” he said.
Maepa was unfazed by Modise’s comments, saying he was the party’s outgoing leader in Tshwane too.
“In the ANC, when we go to the conference you are an outgoing leader,” he said.
Maepa said the event was taking place at the request of branches in Tshwane, which he claimed backed Lesufi.
ANC Gauteng chairperson and Premier David Makhura has publicly indicated that he would not be standing for re-election again at the provincial conference later this year.
Makhura is largely expected to stand for the position of secretary-general at the governing party’s December national conference.
Gauteng human settlements, urban planning, co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Lebogang Maile is also in the running to replace Makhura at the provincial conference.
Lesufi’s slate wants finance MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the current deputy provincial secretary, for the position of deputy chairperson.
They have also lined up provincial secretary Jacob Khawe and Thulani Kunene to lead the secretariat. Controversial former health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku could become provincial treasurer.
Gauteng is largely expected to back President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as president of the ANC.
The province, which is the ANC’s smallest in terms of membership but among the party’s most influential, has five regions which will go to their elective conferences ahead of the provincial gathering.
This week, Khawe said the decision to dissolve the regional executive committees (RECs) and convert them into regional task teams (RTTs) was in accordance with the ANC’s constitution.
“Dear regional secretaries, noting the decision of the special provincial executive committee (PEC), dated March 8, 2022 the meeting resolved to dissolve the RECs and convert them into RTT, to be consistent with the ANC constitution,” he said.
The special PEC resolutions state that all regions be dissolved and converted to RTTs in terms of rule 12.2.4 of the ANC’s constitution as of March 9, 2022.
“All REC members remain as members of the RTT, no new members are to be appointed in the structure,” Khawe wrote.
Political Bureau