Johannesburg - The newly-elected ANC leadership in Gauteng has resolved to push for the withdrawal of e-tolls in the country’s economic heartland as the party fears possible loss of electoral support in next year’s general elections.
The governing party was holding its provincial elective conference over the weekend in which Premier David Makhura was elected as provincial chairperson unopposed.
Makhura had admitted that the unhappiness over e-tolls had contributed to the party’s loss of support and running of two metros - Johannesburg and Tshwane - during local government elections in 2016.
Delivering his closing address at the conference in Tshwane, Makhura said the party would push for the removal of e-tolls as part of the resolutions of the congress.
“We have a plan to make sure that e-tolls are a thing of the past. We shall assess everything we do in relation to how it affects our people and their wellbeing,” Makhura said.
This was the first time the party held a conference after the loss of power to a DA-led coalition in Johannesburg and Tshwane.
It, however, remained unclear what strategy the party would use to do away with the e-tolls as they were the competency of the national government.
Makhura said the party had also resolved not to wait for the parliamentary review of Section 25 of the Constitution for the expropriation of land without compensation.
He told delegates that although they would contribute when the hearings are held in the province, they would not wait for the conclusion of the process.
“We will be attending the hearings on the constitutional review on Thursday. The ANC’s views will be heard and we are clear and the land shall be returned to our people.
“At the same time that these hearings are taking place, we are forging ahead. This conference has given us the mandate to forge ahead with rapid land release. We are not going to wait for Parliament to review the Constitution. We shall return the land and that includes government land,” Makhura said.
Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi beat Economic Development MEC Lebogang Maile for deputy chairperson while Emfuleni mayor Jacob Khawe was elected provincial secretary, taking over from Hope Papo.
Former Joburg mayor and regional chairperson Parks Tau was elected provincial treasurer with Gauteng Legislature deputy speaker Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko elected deputy secretary.
Makhura said he would not purge from his cabinet those who opposed him ahead of the conference.
“There shall be no MEC who will be removed because they had a different view, even if they were against me. But we are not going to tolerate ill-discipline,” he said.
“If you are ill-disciplined, we are coming for you. If you disrupt branch meetings, we are coming for you. Even if you support Makhura, we are coming for you,” Makhura said.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule called for unity within the party, saying unity was crucial for the party ahead of next year’s elections.
Magashule, however, slammed those he said were opposed to the review of the Constitution.
“These counter-revolutionaries want to tell us that the very Constitution that our ANC representatives, who were the majority in the Constitutional Assembly, wrote in order to serve and protect the interests and future of our people is a so-called ‘holy grail’, which cannot be amended. The Constitution can never be cast in stone, it must be a flexible instrument to serve the needs and advancement of the people.
“After 24 years of democracy we have learnt that there are clauses in the Constitution that frustrates and impedes the return of the land to our people (who are the rightful owners, and from whom it was stolen) without compensation,” Magashule said.
The voting for the final list of additional members of the provincial executive committee was still to be held by late Sunday.