Hardly a week after the ANC Chris Hani region held its regional conference, cracks and rumblings of discontent have begun to emerge within party ranks.
Disgruntled ANC members in the region have, through their lawyers, written a scathing letter to the party’s national treasurer-general Paul Mashatile expressing their discomfort and unhappiness with how the conference was held.
The conference, which was held at the Paloti Farm in Komani last week, concluded with Wongama Gela elected as regional chairperson, Noloyiso Ntsaluba as deputy chairperson, Lusanda Sizani as secretary, Madoda Papiyana as deputy secretary and Andile Mini as treasurer. Gela was challenged by Myolisi Toni and Khaya Bizana contested the deputy chair and deputy secretary positions but lost to Ntsaluba and Papiyana, while Sizani and Mini’s positions were uncontested.
It is believed that the elected officials support the current provincial ANC chairperson and premier Oscar Mabuyane as they have previously publicly declared they will support his bid to retain the chairmanship during the upcoming provincial conference.
Mabuyane is known to be a strong ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In the letter we have seen, dated April 4, Phiwokuhle Nyobo Inc said ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi had lied under oath in the affidavit he filed in the Grahamstown High Court when he allegedly said the provincial dispute resolution committee (PDRC) did not receive appeals from some wards regarding the nomination of the delegates for the conference.
“On 1 April, we have e-mailed a letter to you, drawing your attention to the irregular manner in which the regional conference of the ANC in the Chris Hani region was due to be conducted. In the same letter, we also drew your attention to a false statement made by Mr Lulama Ngcukayitobi,” Nyobo wrote.
Nyobo said at the time Ngcukayitobi made the statement he knew there was evidence that the conference was rigged.
“Appeals from the above branches of the ANC were received by the PDRC and Ngcukayitobi lied before the national dispute resolution committee that those appeals were never provided to the PDRC.
“In making the above statement, Ngcukayitobi committed an act of forgery, which should be investigated by the ANC and for which he should be punished both internally using the ANC’s disciplinary measures and criminally charged for perjury,” said Nyobo.
Nyobo also said the same reference was made to the initial letter sent to Mashatile on March 30, in which she alleged the ANC treasurer-general was going to advise Ngcukayitobi of his intention to hold a meeting with the provincial task team on March 31 for the purpose of “discussing progress on conference’s road map and a number of complaints received regarding the processes …”
Nyobo stated that her clients wanted the ANC national structures to nullify the conference despite the urgent court application that was filed by the disgruntled ANC members and which was dismissed by the high court before the regional conference took place.
Nyobo also listed a litany of alleged irregularities, such as unfair election processes, irregular adoption of credentials and breaching of conference programmes and rules.
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