The ANC’s political dynamics are threatening to turn new allies into enemies as tensions rise following the election of Mxolisi Dukwana as ANC Free State provincial chairperson, defeating Prime Minister Sisi Ntombela, in a tight race for the top job.
ANC Free State Conference
Ntombela was defeated by Dukwana in a tight race with a margin of just 45 votes. But his supporters contested the results and threatened to take the matter to court because the ANC did not entertain concerns over allegations of vote fraud.
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A political analyst based at the University of the Free State, Professor Sethulego Matebesi, said that there are indeed irregularities in the process of electing leaders, and this is a serious problem.
“This is a serious allegation, that the delegation raises the challenge of rigging the results, which is very serious,” Matebesi said.
Ntombela could join the followers of the former prime minister and former ANC secretary-general, Ace Magashule, to challenge the result in court.
Earlier Magashule’s supporters through the lawyer were reported to have drawn up papers to ban the entire provincial conference, but the matter did not materialize as the conference continued without the papers given to the organisers.
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Ntombela himself is non-committal about the planned trial against the ANC.
He told me The Warga in an interview he learned that his followers objected to the 650-number voting delegation adopted by the conference.
While he is not ready to take the ANC to court, the prime minister still wants to know why the numbers aren’t there.
“There are some things they are complaining about, but let me listen to what they have to say. I know the delegates are complaining about being removed from the process, but I will discuss it,” said Ntombela.
Alleged routine
Disaffected members confirmed the figures were adopted but were concerned that the figures did not match the results. He claimed that the election was rigged and threatened to go to court.
One of the delegates said that there were many mistakes made at the conference, including by members of the ANC national executive who were assigned to the conference. He said there were serious matters raised by the concerned delegation which he did not do.
Dissatisfied members claim that some branches have more delegates in the party’s provincial conference when they are qualified for less delegates present and the extra delegates have voted in the conference.
‘Free and fair’ conference
They are suspected of some mischief to manipulate the election to produce certain results that Dukwana likes.
But some delegates did not agree that the credentials were adopted by all delegates including the number 650 for voting delegates.
“You can’t question the process once you’re involved,” said one delegate.
But ANC election committee members, observers from various structures and individual delegates agreed that the election of the top five officials or the provincial executive committee (PEC) was “free and fair”.
But later Ntombela’s followers met in different caucus meetings outside the arena to strategize on the next steps to follow in the matter.
Ntombela congratulated Dukwana
However, Ntombela congratulated Dukwana for winning. He called on the new leadership to concentrate on ANC unity in the province.
Regarding his defeat to Dukwana, Ntombela said as a member of the ANC, he was the main leader of the ANC deployment.
“I can be deployed anywhere, but I know what is happening because I am a politician,” he said.
Ntombela served under Magashule as prime minister and was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa as prime minister to replace Magashule after he was elected ANC secretary-general in December 2017.
But observers say tensions over the result could turn Dukwana and Ntombela into enemies, even though they worked together as chairman and vice-chairman of the ANC’s Free State provincial interim committee.
Ntombela also appointed Dukwana as MEC for local government and customary affairs.
However, Ntombela does not appear to be ready for a legal battle with Dukwana, instead adopting a more conciliatory tone in the outcome of the dispute. He even left the matter to be publicly aired by his supporters.
President Cyril Ramaphosa closed the conference with a speech to the delegates. The message concerns the unity and renewal of the ANC in the Free State.
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