ANC divisions responsible for its dwindling support at the polls – analyst

Disgruntled former ANC North West provincial executive committee (PEC) members have lodged an appeal following the dismissal of their court bid to declare last year’s provincial conference as unlawful and be set aside in May this year.

Lebogang Medupe, Lesego Serapelwane, Puso Moeng, Sello Molefe and Itumeleng Moswane are heading to North West High Court in Mahikeng for a notice of set down on 25 August.

Members vs ANC PEC

The five unhappy ANC members have previously challenged the legality of the election of the current ANC PEC. However, the court outcomes have not been in their favour. They believe that the provincial elections held in Rustenburg last year were marred by serious irregularities.

A senior ANC leader in the North West, who cannot be named for fear of victimisation, said: “The current PEC as led by Nono Maloyi will not finish its term because they were voted [in] illegally by branches which were prepared by an interim structure which operated outside the constitution of the ANC as its term of office had expired.”

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He was referring to the interim provincial structure (IPC) led by Hlomani Chauke after the removal of Supra Mahumapelo in 2018. The disgruntled ANC members interdicted the IPC from voting in the ninth elective conference through a court order.

ANC divisions affecting support

Political analyst André Duvenhage believed that the divisions within the ANC were responsible for its dwindling support at the polls.

“I have no doubt that this court case will bring further divisions within the ANC,” said Duvenhage.

“It is going to create patterns of conflict. The ANC is a divided organisation which is losing support. They are in need of groupings to support them towards and after the 2024 general election.”

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Maloyi is seen as positioning himself for a powerful position. He is the current MEC of local government and traditional affairs and acted as premier when Bushy Maape was on sick leave. Maloyi has appointed his deputy chair, Lazarus Mokgosi, as the MEC of social development, which was previously held by Boitumelo Moiloa.

Last year, Viola Motsumi, who is a deputy secretary, was appointed as MEC of education while treasurer Sello Lehari was retained as MEC of community safety and transport. Provincial secretary Louis Diremelo is still a councillor at Bojanala.

PEC summoned

A source told The Citizen that the ANC PEC in the North West was summoned by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Thursday last week following a audio leak of Motsumi apparently lambasting Soviet Lekganyane, the ANC national executive committee (NEC) deployee in North West.

In the WhatsApp audio, a voice of a woman believed to be Motsumi can be heard saying: “That comrade [Lekganyane] is problematic. “They [Mbalula and Lekganyane] want this province by hook or crook. They have vested interests in Bojanala and Kenneth Kaunda regions. We cannot allow such to happen.

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“In that PEC meeting we must show the NEC that we do have leadership in the North West. This thing of playing in the North West must come to an end. We must tell the convenor of the deployees [Lekganyane] where to get off.”

According to the source, Mbalula threatened to fire all those who were misbehaving.

“Mbalula made it clear that he will deal with individual leaders who are misbehaving without necessarily disbanding any structure. They were told to implement the Motlanthe report with speed,” the source said.

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The Motlanthe report was an investigation led by the former ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe to investigate the alleged fraud on those who became councillors “illegally”.