MBOMBELA – The ANC has suspended a member of its provincial executive committee (Pec) for allegedly plotting against the party.
Mr Peter Nyoni’s membership has been suspended pending disciplinary action against him. Flanked by his deputy, Ms Violet Siwela, provincial secretary Mr Lucky Ndinisa announced the decision by the committee on Tuesday.
Nyoni, who is married to the Speaker in Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM), Ms Jesta Sidell, is accused of planning a march to the party’s provincial head office as part of the ”Save the ANC in Mpumalanga” campaign.
Ndinisa explained that Nyoni was not a mere member and the seriousness of the allegations demanded that the matter be dealt with quickly.
“We don’t expect ANC members to march against themselves. We have a responsibility to lead society at large. Those who want to clown, must not come clown at the provincial office,” he said.
Members of the Save Mpumalanga campaign said in a statement yesterday that they remained determined to assist in saving the soul of the ANC. Comrades Mr Sipho Monareng and Mr Senzeni Ngubeni said the planned march was to continue to submit a memorandum to the ANC leadership.
“Many attempts were made at branch, regional, provincial and national level to engage the organisation on the conduct of regional executive committee (Rec) members who deliberately removed members in good standing from the organisation’s membership register. These deliberate removals and gatekeeping were done to isolate different views on the life of the ANC including, among others, the election of leadership.
“The organisation requires members of the ANC to formally raise disputes to an upper structure on an occurrence of non-compliance with the constitution conducted by any leader or structure of the ANC. More than 50 disputes were raised with the Rec, Pec and the office of the secretary general regarding gatekeeping, inflating of membership, bogus membership, and delegates at conferences – but to no avail.
“It is against this background that we as loyal ANC membership chose not to see the party dying at the hands of the current Pec leadership, which is at the centre of the systematic attack of the ANC culture and politics.”
Ndinisa confirmed during the briefing on Tuesday that an audit of the party’s membership was done following the expose by Ziwaphi over new members bypassing a mandatory waiting period to inflate member numbers. He said a political process was to follow on the findings of the audit.
