Johannesburg – The ANC in the Free State has its work cut out if it is to woo back 16 of its members who were expelled in 2019 for voting with the opposition to unseat the party’s mayor in the embattled Maluti- a-Phofung municipality.
The newly formed ANC interim provincial committee (IPC) in the Free State, chaired by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ally Mxolisi Dukwana, last week said it would petition the party’s national executive committee, the ANC highest decision-making structure between conferences, to reverse their expulsion.
“We came to a conclusion as the IPC that it will be in the best interest of the process of uniting the organisation in the province, as well as the community of Maluti- a-Phofung, for the ANC to engage the national executive committee in looking afresh into this matter,” Dukwana said when extending the party’s apology to the expelled members.
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The municipality saw services seriously disrupted in 2018 after a motion of no confidence was tabled before council to remove ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s staunch supporter, Vusi Tshabalala. The majority of councillors, including the 16 ANC councillors, supported the motion.
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However, a few minutes before it was voted for, Tshabalala resigned. He was then redeployed by Magashule as ANC chief whip in the provincial legislature after the 2019 general elections.
The ANC in the Free State under the then leadership of Magashule’s ally Sam Mashinini expelled the councillors, a decision that was upheld by the party’s national disciplinary structures.
The expelled council then formed an organisation called MAP16 and contested by-elections as independents and won 10 wards while the ANC retained five. Paratlane Motloung, spokesperson of MAP16, said they would not be returning to the ANC.
“We accept the gesture by the IPC. But we have moved on. We are building our own organisation, which is enjoying the support of the community. “We feel betrayed and let down by Ramaphosa. We were expelled under his leadership while we lobbied hard for his election,” Motloung said.
However, sources close to Dukwana said they are confident the grouping will be back in the ANC fold.
“The comrades are hurt and we understand. But these are the same people who worked very closely with Dukwana in the lead-up to the Nasrec conference, as he was the chief lobbyist of the CR17 campaign and understands the comrades well. They will be back, mark my words.”
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