ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has questioned the Free State ANC leadership’s
motive to mobilise “drunkards” to remove Thanduxolo Khalipha as a mayor of Matjhabeng
local municipality.
Khalipha stepped aside after he was charged by the police for common assault and crimen injuria after he insulted his bodyguards and assaulted the other during a community meeting at Kutlwanong High School.
He was sentenced to three months in jail or a R5 000 fine for common assault or one month behind bars with an option of a R1 000 fine for each charge of crimen injuria when he appeared in the Odendaalsrus magistrate’s court.
According to the ANC’s rules, Khalipha, who had stepped aside immediately after he was charged, is not supposed to occupy any office in the organisation or in government.
Immediately after his conviction, allegations started spreading that some top five officials of the party wanted Khalipha to be reinstated to his job.
This move divided the organisation, with some members calling for Luthuli House to intervene and disband the provincial executive committee (PEC).
The national working committee (NWC) descended on the Free State this week to defuse tensions compounded by the alleged plan to reinstate Khalipha.
In the NWC meeting held with the PEC this week, Mbalula raised concerns about the measures some members resorted to in a bid to block Khalipha’s reinstatement.
Mbalula’s concern was highlighted in the report compiled by Free State deputy chairperson Ketso Makume.
“When we start to promote disbandment or destruction, we appear to be only interested in positions, and this is what we were told or learnt in our meeting with the NWC.
“Cde SG [secretary-general] asked a very important question: ‘Why do we mobilise for the wrong things?’
And he continued: “Why do you mobilise drunkards if you want comrade Khalipha removed’?” reads Makume’s report.
These enquiries underscored the need for members to critically evaluate their actions and motivations, particularly when they threaten the party’s unity, Makume added.
Makume’s report also stated that President Cyril Ramaphosa also cautioned against
reckless behaviour and urged members not to emulate others but to chart their path with integrity.
Ramaphosa further urged the Free State members to have confidence in their ability to resolve internal issues.
He reminded them of their past achievements, saying that they had triumphed in elections despite facing significant challenges, the report read.
ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe also contributed to the discourse by highlighting the ANC’s rich cultural heritage and the crucial role of respect.
“The ANC is a very interesting liberation movement and very rich in culture,” Mantashe is quoted, adding that “we must respect each other and listen to views we want to hear and those we don’t.”
Mantashe’s call for mutual respect extended to respecting ANC decisions.
According to Makume, the NWC emphasised the need for factual discourse and warned against misinformation.
Makume noted that throughout the meetings, the NWC underscored the peril of allowing “wedge drivers” to sow division within the movement.
He said Mbalula was particularly emphatic about the need to avoid using media platforms to attack one another, as the practice only provides ammunition for opposition forces.
The NWC, according to Makume, urged members to desist from engaging in rumormongering and unsubstantiated claims, which have historically sown discord.
The NWC’s visit, he noted, served as a clear call for members to focus on strengthening their branches and fostering grassroots activism.
