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The votes are in: Vuyiso Tyhalisisu is the new ANC Western Cape chair
Tyhalisisu kicked dust in the eyes of Cameron Dugmore for the ANC WC top position after Richard Dyantyi was 'load shedded'.
Vuyiso Tyhalisisu is the new chair of the African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape. Photo: Facebook/ SABC
Former Dullah Omar regional secretary Vuyiso “JJ” Tyhalisisu was elected as the new African National Congress (ANC) Western Cape chairperson at the party’s elective conference, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Sunday 25 June.
He won the race with 311 votes compared to ANC leader in the provincial legislature Cameron Dugmore Dugmore’s 282.
Tyhalisisu first ANC Western Cape chair since Fransman
The ANC in the province last elected permanent leadership in 2015 when Marius Fransman was voted in as chairperson and the party has bemoaned the fact that its position in the province run by the Democratic Alliance (DA), is currently at its weakest in more than a decade.
“The ANC will also seek to confront its internal challenges that have placed the ANC in this province in its weakest position in more than a decade, with weak structures, low membership, loss of activists and public servants that are distant from their communities,” Provincial Parliament in the Western Cape spokesperson Nobulumko Nkondlo said at a media briefing last week.
WATCH: ‘Load shedding’ for Richard Dyantyi
The third contender in the race for the position, was ANC MP Richard Dyantyi, who is also the chairperson of the Section 184 committee looking into whether suspended public protector former Advocate Busiswe Mkhwebane is fit to hold office.
Dyantyi accepted a floor nomination, but failed to reach the threshold on Saturday when delegates greeted him with the dreaded “load shedding” call.
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In other developments, Sharon Davids is the new deputy chairperson while Neville Delport has been elected as the provincial secretary.
Ayanda Bans will serve as the party’s deputy secretary while Derek Appels was elected unopposed as Treasurer.
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ANC conference accommodation fiasco
The conference – the first in eight years – has been delayed numerous times due to several problems within provincial structures.
On Friday when the conference was due to kick off, several of the 700 delegates arrived only just in time for a 9pm dinner.
An accommodation “riot” ensued shortly thereafter when some delegates discovered that their booked hotel rooms were occupied by the so-called “friends of delegates”.
According to TimesLIVE, in the ANC, friends of delegates are party members who are not necessarily conference delegates but hang around conference venues lobbying support for their preferred candidates.
Provincial convenor Lerumo Kalako had no choice but to postpone the opening of the conference to Saturday morning.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula addresses delegates
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula delivered the keynote address, touching on several issues, including the Phala Phala saga, Mkhwebane’s “tell all” bombshell interview and whether or not Russian President Vladimir Putin will be attending the Brics summit in August in Johannesburg.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the closing remarks at the conference today.
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