Pretoria - Angry Tshwane ANC members from Nellmapius on Friday marched to the regional party offices in Arcadia to demand a rerun of the candidates’ nomination process ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.
Aggrieved members from ward 86 complained that the process was marred with irregularities caused by people who allegedly imposed the names of their preferred candidates on the ballot papers.
According to them, the public rejected the ANC candidates and endorsed their own representatives, Nthabiseng Mokwena and Wilheminah Jafta.
However, they were taken aback that on voting day their candidates names were not among the four candidates appearing on the ballot paper.
As a result of the absence of their preferred candidates, the community refused to participate in the election process, according to the marchers.
“The community was frustrated because they were promised that both candidates would appear on the ballot paper,” one of them explained.
Their march was staged two days after a branch party member was fatally shot during the public voting of the ANC candidates in ward 15. The incident left two more people injured.
In a memorandum submitted on Friday to the regional secretary’s office, a group of ANC members said an intimidating atmosphere reigned during the election on August 18.
Community members, who came through to cast their ballots, were allegedly threatened with firearms by people who wanted them to support their candidates.
There were also claims that in one of the voting stations, some people were pepper-sprayed to stop them from voting.
Speaking on their behalf, Precious Marole, bemoaned the fact that there was “no democracy” in ward 86.
“The community is being threatened with firearms in the meetings, and ‘Boko Haram’ is beating them for enquiring,” he said. Unhappy members called on the ANC to suspend embattled branch secretary Lima Sethokga, who is facing extortion charges, until he had cleared his name in a court.
The Pretoria News reported last month, that Sethokga was arrested and released on bail after he allegedly extorted money from a developer involved in a construction project in Silverton. “We demand that the process in ward 86 be rerun and the secretary be put on suspension until he clears his name in court,’’ said part of their memorandum.
According to them, failure to resolve the issues by the regional leaders could lead to the ward being lost to the opposition party.
ANC regional secretary Eugene “Bonzo” Modise said he knew about the disgruntled members’ march.
He said the candidates endorsed by the community did not meet the 50 plus one threshold required by the party. “If there are 500 members in that community, the person must get 50 plus one, meaning 251.”
Modise said the nomination process in other wards unfolded very well. “It is just here and there, where there is some form of resistance and revolt by some disgruntled members”.
He said the party was trying by all means to be transparent about the nomination process “because it is free and fair”.
“It is not easy to please everyone. The process is quite emotive. Poverty is also contributing as well. There are comrades who want to elevate themselves from poverty,” Modise said.
Pretoria News