Eastern Cape –
The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape is going to expel its card carrying members who have deliberately turned against the party during the Local Government Elections.
Disgruntled ANC members registered as independent candidates in various wards across the province and contested against the party candidates.
The ANC provincial chairman and the Premier Oscar Mabuyane said some of those who were disgruntled over the party candidates’ lists discouraged people voting.
He said: “We have set up a commit to investigate and identify all those members.
We are going to deal with them on a case by case basis.
They no longer belong to the organisation but we’re going to follow all due processes.”
Mabuyane said those who took part in the polls were aware that their actions were wrong and constituted a disciplinary action.
“We have been clear to our members that where the process of selecting has been undermined by whoever, the ANC is not going to turn a blind eye on that.
We are also aware that we have got opportunists within our ranks, those who think it must be them or nothing.
Some decided to go on their own not because the process was flawed but simply because of the rapacious behaviour.
It is not clear at the moment as to how many independent candidates will emerge victorious against the party candidates as the vote counting has not been completed.
Mabuyane also blamed Covid-19 for the low voter turnout.
He said: “Part of the contributing factors to the low voter turnout is the pandemic itself. People have seen families parish right in front of them, so people couldn’t take chances about their lives.”
Mabuyane said the low voter turnout could hamp the ANC chances of getting majority votes in Nelson Mandela Bay but said the party will decide about its future in that Metro after final results if it didn’t get the outright win.
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