Limpopo ANC accused of selective implementation of ‘step-aside’ rule

The Limpopo ANC has been accused of brushing aside the step-aside rule even before the real fight begins at the party’s elective conference in December.

The resolution was adopted by the party at the 2017 national ANC elective conference in Nasrec and has already seen two ANC bigwigs, suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and former eThekwini municipality mayor Zandile Gumede, stepping aside after they faced corruption allegations in the courts.

The resolution had since became contentious, with some claiming it had eyes only for a particular ANC faction.

Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal became the first two provinces to make proposals this year at the ANC policy conference to have the rule scrapped.

Through its provincial spokesperson, Jimmy Machaka, the Limpopo provincial executive committee (PEC) said the fight for it to be a scrapped would be elevated to the December conference.

‘Step-aside rule dead in Limpopo’

The Citizen has been inundated with calls from disenchanted party members, especially in the Norman Mashabane and Waterberg regions, accusing the Limpopo ANC of not fully implementing the rule.

“The step-aside rule is dead in Limpopo. I say this because some of us were ordered to step aside from party activities after we faced criminal charges in court. We did step down not because we are fools but because we have respect for ANC policies,” said Lesibana Monare, an ANC senior councillor in Lephalale.

Godfrey Mawela continued working as mayor of Musina despite having faced charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Mawela was accused of hitting a patron at a tavern with a broken beer bottle.

The former mayor at Thulamela, Avhashoni Tshifhango, was deployed at the Vhembe district municipality as member of the mayoral committee, despite having faced charges of corruption following an irregular investment in VBS Mutual Bank.

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The Limpopo PEC is also accused of having forced the election of a council member at the Lephalale local municipality, Aaron Mokgehle, despite Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo having confirmed he is facing a charge of intimidation following an alleged incident in February 2019.

A Cabinet reshuffle by Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha has also caused an uproar. But despite that, Mathabatha went on to appoint former mayors Florence Radzilane and Nakedi Sibanda Kekana in his Cabinet. The two were accused of irregularly investing municipal millions with the collapsed VBS Mutual Bank.

Machaka said they “still harbour a belief that the 55th ANC national conference in December should do away with step-aside rule”.

– news@citizen.co.za