The political fall from grace of former ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi continues after he failed to make the provincial working committee (PWC) of the newly appointed provincial task team (PTT).
This comes after Ngcukayitobi also failed to make the provincial top five, led by provincial convenor and premier Oscar Mabuyane.
The self-proclaimed Home of the Legends recently had its ANC branch installed with a PTT following the end of the term for the former provincial executive committee (PEC), where Ngcukayitobi was provincial secretary.
Everyone but Ngcukayitobi returned
Luthuli House bosses, after deliberations, returned everyone who was part of the PEC top five in the PTT top five but demoted Ngcukayitobi.
It is believed that Ngcukayitobi, during his time as provincial secretary, was often accused of “social distancing from branches,” which was a major mitigating factor against his exclusion from the top five and led to his return to the PTT only as an ordinary member.
Moreover, during the heightened political legal gymnastics that had the March 2026 provincial conference interdicted by the KuGompo City High Court, Ngcukayitobi was believed to be the driving force behind the applicants who are unknown branch members of the ANC.
The PTT announced this week that it had appointed a 15-member PWC but did not publish the names.
PWC sans Ngcukayitobi
The Sunday World can reveal that Ngcukayitobi is nowhere among the 15 names, which we have seen, that comprise the newly constituted PWC.
“The PTT resolved to establish a Provincial Working Committee (PWC) comprising fifteen (15) members, including chairpersons of ANC leagues and ANC provincial spokesperson,” reads the PTT statement.
“The PWC will serve as a key coordinating structure to ensure effective execution of the decisions of the PTT and to strengthen organizational coherence across the province while accelerating program delivery and political accountability.”
The 15 names include the Mabuyane-led provincial top five as well as education MEC Fundile Gade and SACP provincial leader who attended the ANC-banned Conference of the Left last weekend, Xolile Nqatha.
PTT subcommittees
The PTT meeting of last weekend also appointed those who will form part of several PTT subcommittees, including Political Education, Legislature, Campaigns, Finance, Communications, Elections, Economic Transformation, Education and Social Transformation, Health, and International Relations, among others.
“The PTT received and deliberated on the report concerning the ANC candidate selection process for metropolitan municipalities and strategic municipalities in preparation for the 2026 Local Government Elections,” reads the statement by provincial spokesperson and member of PWC Yanga “Clarity” Zicina.
‘united, focused, and resolute’
“The PTT reaffirmed adherence to ANC selection guidelines and processes, emphasizing that all recommendations will be submitted to national officials for final consideration, in line with organisational discipline and transparency.
“The ANC Eastern Cape PTT emerged from the meeting united, focused, and resolute in its commitment to lead the ANC to victory in the forthcoming local government elections. The unity of the organization remains our most important asset in confronting both internal challenges and external threats.”
- Former ANC Eastern Cape provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi failed to secure a position in the newly appointed provincial working committee (PWC) or provincial top five, signaling a political decline.
- The newly installed provincial task team (PTT), led by provincial convenor and premier Oscar Mabuyane, reinstated all former PEC top five members except Ngcukayitobi, who was demoted to an ordinary PTT member.
- Ngcukayitobi was criticized for "social distancing from branches" during his term and was reportedly behind legal challenges that interrupted the March 2026 provincial conference.
- The 15-member PWC, which includes the Mabuyane-led provincial top five and other notable figures like education MEC Fundile Gade, focuses on political coordination, program delivery, and accountability.
- The PTT reaffirmed commitment to ANC candidate selection guidelines and unity to ensure victory in the 2026 local government elections amid organizational and external challenges.
It is believed that
Moreover, during the heightened political legal gymnastics that had the March 2026 provincial conference interdicted by the KuGompo City High Court,
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