BY: SIYABONGA SITHOLE
Johannesburg - Newly-elected North West provincial chairperson Nono Maloyi has promised to usher in the renewal of ANC structures in the province following the announcement of the top five leadership at the ninth provincial conference yesterday.
Maloyi who emerged victorious following the withdrawal of Supra Mahumapelo from the highly contested race beat ANC stalwart Bushy Maape, taking 373 votes to Maape's 294 votes.
After numerous hitches, including the existence of 40 bogus delegates and the theft of name tags, the voting for the top five leadership began late into Sunday evening. The announcement of the top five leadership was made in the early hours of yesterday.
"We are going to focus on renewing the structures of the movement and unifying the ANC in the province, that is going to be our main focus.
“Secondly, we will ensure that there is stability in government, both at local and provincial level. As we speak now, if you go to the legislature, portfolio committees are chaired by the opposition and the party that is in the majority is the ANC.
“That cannot be. If you go to the different municipalities, almost every day, there are motions of no confidence against mayors and Speakers and some of these motions are supported by members of the ANC. So we need to make sure that there is stability on that level," Maloyi told Newzroom Afrika yesterday.
The voting took place late into Sunday evening. The result for the top five positions was eventually pronounced in the early hours of yesterday.
The deputy chairperson position saw Lazarous Mokgosi emerge victorious with 353 votes to Paul Sebekgoe's 311 votes.
Louis Kenetsoe Mosenogi managed to get 285 votes. For the deputy provincial secretary position, the only female representative in the top five, Viola Motsumi, triumphed over two of her rivals with 280 votes to Bitsa Lenkopane's 246 votes and Motlalepule Rosho's 141 votes.
The fifth position of provincial secretary was taken by Sello Lehari who raked in a massive tally of 380 votes to Lenah Miga's 280 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Maloyi called for an end to factionalism and lobby groups, adding that though it was normal for conferences to have lobby groups in the run-up, these must stop once the new leadership had been chosen.
"We are not leading a faction, but we are leading the African National Congress. Whatever we do as this leadership, we must do it for the benefit of the ANC and not for the benefit of a faction.“
He said it was natural, at an elective conference, to have lobby groups and different streams. “But once a leadership had been elected, those lobby groups and streams must cease to exist," he said.
The time for political rhetoric must come to an end to ensure that the party emerged victorious in the 2024 general elections, according to Maloyi.
The Star