Demand for cadre recall

Large scale annoyance with the ruling party’s election results has simply triggered growing levels of frustration over a host of debilitating factors which is forcing the African National Congress (ANC) onto the red carpet to answer to aligned structures.
While political parties continue with discussions over working agreements in hung councils in the province in the aftermath of election results, the developments of the past fortnight are seemingly culminating in an explosive turn of events as snowballing challenges faced by the ANC in Limpopo are coming down on them like a ton of bricks. This time round the big rebuke is not being launched by the opposition, but the ruling party’s own structures and alliance partners in the province. The black-on-white figures resembling the latest election results in Limpopo not only reflect a turn-about in traditional vote, but sketch the level of indifference towards the ruling party whose cadres are worried about the increasing threat of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to an existing political status quo taken for granted. An exclusionary leadership style, factionalism and reaction to the Vuwani unrest count among the altering factors that are cause for concern resonating from different angles within the belly of the beast.
Earlier this week it was learnt that the South African Communist Party (SACP) in Limpopo intends one more attempt at securing discussions with the ANC leadership in the province within the next fortnight to three weeks to raise matters of concern. Failure to do so would end in them turning to the national structure of the ANC with a demand for a recall of the current leadership of the ruling party in the province, Polokwane Observer was told. In the meantime the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in Limpopo plans to take up matters around election processes and results with the alliance leader this week still. They are, however, being beaten to it by Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) whose provincial leadership has already secured the presence of ANC Provincial Secretary Nocks Seabi at a Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting scheduled for this weekend when he would be expected to respond to questions arising from issues of concern.
In a media statement following a PEC meeting on Sunday, the SACP in Limpopo referred to resolutions which included a convening of leftist forces to look into the actualisation of the formation of a reconfigured alliance which might include the ANC. The structure further wants the ruling party to act decisively to turn the tide in areas where it did not perform well because of its own blunders both in the movement and the government. The issue of Vuwani was raised as an example alongside those of Mogalakwena, Thabazimbi, Mookgophong and Modimolle. Repeatedly the ongoing Vuwani issue came up in interviews with leaders of structures aligned to the ruling party in the province, confirming the fact that the series of occurrences that some have attributed to tribal differences keep on costing the ANC and provincial government.
SACP
SACP Limpopo Spokesperson Machike Thobejane told Polokwane Observer that in one last attempt they would try to secure a slot with the ANC leadership in the province to discuss matters of concern, which they have been failing to do for the past two years. If they continue being ignored, they would take up issues with Luthuli House and demand the recall of the current leadership, he stressed. According to him the conduct of the ANC provincial leadership has caused a rift between the party provincial executive and the people on the ground, the members and the branches. He pointed out that cliques and factions were rife within the ranks of the ANC. With the past elections, the ANC had been punished by its own people, he reckoned. Another issue he raised was that of the ANC’s failure to lead themselves and simultaneously failing to lead the alliance. Thobejane further said decisions were taken without consultation, using the example of the selection of mayors which the ANC had done on their own. He highlighted the fact that the last time the PEC of the ANC had met formally was in January this year, while only having special meetings to discuss deployments and not organisational matters. The SACP in Limpopo was of the opinion that it was time for them to lead and would lobby for the party going solo in contesting future elections, he indicated, an idea expected to be up for discussion during next week’s Central Committee (CC) meeting.
MKMVA
The road to the elections, failures and achievements as well as animosity among the masses, factionalism that has taken its toll and the sidelining of unemployed former fighters are expected to rank highest among concerns to be raised by the provincial executive of the MKMVA during its Sunday meeting. According to the acting MKMVA Provincial Secretary, Lulamile Jack they had to all take the blame together and see what went wrong during the past elections. But at the same time he cautioned that it was a warning shot telling the ANC that the love of the people for the organisation should not be taken for granted, that individuals should stop servicing their stomachs and instead deliver services to the people and that unity and cohesion should be fostered as opposed to factionalism.
Cosatu
Also Cosatu Provincial Secretary Gerald Twala was of the opinion that the provincial executive of the ruling party and alliance partners all had a role to play, but that the leader of the alliance should be held responsible for the election results. He said the PEC of Cosatu would do a thorough analysis of the election results during its next meeting in the beginning of September. While congratulating the ANC on retaining the majority vote, he raised the concern about voter turn-out and the drop in percentage of votes favouring the ANC in Limpopo when compared to the 2014 election results. He attributed plunging ruling party popularity to municipalities not delivering on the mandate of the organisation, under-spending of funds as well as government lacking speed when having to remedy situations when municipalities didn’t perform. The ANC did not have the option of self-introspection anymore, he reckoned, but had to do it to reclaim voter support. He stressed that an earlier decision about the ANC having to take alliance partners on board when dealing with crises in parts affected by protest action would be taken up in correspondence directed to the ANC in the province this week, when the leadership of the structure would formally register displeasure about exclusionary consultation processes in relation to decisions determining preferred candidates prior to the elections.
Sanco
South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) Provincial Secretary Theo Makola commented that they reconfirmed that they were behind the ANC victory, but were very disappointed with the performance during the elections. He urged thorough introspection into voter apathy. According to him a situation existed based on the provincial leadership taking decisions without considering the community. The issue of the ANC provincial leadership taking decisions on candidate preferences without alliance partner consultation was worrisome, he stressed. He pointed out that it was contrary to an agreement taken during the alliance summit earlier this year. Makola said they needed to find an amicable solution in moving forward and expressed the hope that the ANC would meet one-on-one to discuss performance as well as implementation of the alliance summit resolutions, for lack of implementation would lead to a situation resulting in coalitions being formed as was currently the case. They further feared possible lack of stability that could lead to unrest situations, he added. According to Makola they intended sending a letter to the ANC in the province today (Thursday) to request a meeting, during which they would want to disclose their concerns. Sanco has also scheduled a PEC meeting for Sunday during which they would discuss the poor alliance performance in the elections, it was learnt.
ANC Youth League
In a media statement the ANC Youth League (Ancyl) in Limpopo said it would have a PEC meeting in near future to reflect on the election results in the province as it was a concern to all. Its spokesperson, Matome Moremi said the ANC was now being punished for its own wrongdoings within branches and at grassroots level. He gave the example of two wards having been lost in Ephraim Mogale Municipality to independent candidates who were ANC members in good standing but whose names were removed from the final list submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Referring to disadvantaging bureaucracy in political processes, an arrogant display of wealth and forgetting their own ubuntu values, he said the deterring factors needed to be nipped in the bud. If the ANC had to contest the EFF and DA they also had to allocate more resources for implementation of programmes by the youth league structure in future, he reckoned. With Student Representative Council (SRC) elections coming up again, they needed to change their strategy in how to approach the elections, Moremi concluded.
ANC response
In response to the claims ANC Limpopo Spokesperson Aluwani Netsianda said they took the concerns serious and would engage with the alliance partners in alliance forums and not on a media platform. The ANC in Limpopo had performed fairly well in the elections, but there were concerns and the PEC of the ANC would be engaging with all structures, branches and civil society structures to take their concerns into consideration, he said.

Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com

Featured photo: Stand Mathabatha