Chaos erupted over the councillor selection processes ahead of local government elections at Ward 12, eMbalenhle South Hall on Sunday, August 22.
The problem began on Saturday, August 21, after the African National Congress (ANC) called a community meeting to nominate a person to represent the ANC as a candidate for Ward 12 councillor in the upcoming local government elections.
Even before the meeting began, there was a clash when Ward 12 ANC members, including the current councillor Ms Mantwa Motloung, accused the regional ANC representative, Ms Thandi Ngxonono, of flouting the ANC nomination processes. They believe the branch should nominate a candidate.
Confrontation and arguments erupted between groups outside the hall. The community was confused about what was happening.
Although some ANC members queried that the nomination process deadline was on Friday, August 20, and claimed that what Ms Ngxonono was doing, was illegal, she insisted that the process must continue.
Ms Ngxonono then asked the community to give her the names of the candidates.
Mr Sidney Sihlalo’s name and that of the current ward councillor, Ms Motloung, were raised, but Ms Motloung declined, claiming that the gathering was illegal and nomination processes were supposed to begin at the branch level.
Mr Sihlalo, however, accepted the nomination.
Ms Ngxonono then told community members to take along their identity documents to vote on Sunday, August 21.
Ms Motloung entered the hall, demanding that her name be removed from the ballot paper because, as ANC branch, they regarded the proceedings as illegal.
Govan Mbeki municipal law enforcement officers who were guarding the proceedings tried to remove her from the hall by force but she kept on telling them that what they were doing was wrong.
She said they cannot remove her from an ANC proceeding.
Some of her followers even tried to force their way into the hall, accusing Ms Ngxonono of using municipal resources in ANC gatherings to push her agender.
“We want to know what are municipality law enforcement officers doing at ANC gatherings? This is a total abuse of municipal resources.
“Who will pay for these officers’ overtime and fuel for the cars they are driving?
“We want to know what they will say when is time to account for it, or they will say they were escorting an ANC representative?” asked a Ward 12 branch member.
Such activities were taking place in all areas in the Govan Mbeki Municipality’s jurisdiction.
The branch members accused Ms Ngxonono of failing to address service delivery matters in her tenure as mayor, including the eMbalenhle electricity crisis.
The police escorted Ms Motloung to the eMbalenhle Police Station.
“Some of us don’t have a problem to be replaced but we want it to be done according to ANC guidelines, not in the way it has happened.
“I don’t have a problem about the case that has been opened. I will attend court as a law-abiding citizen,” said Ms Motloung.
Councillors of eMbalenhle known as G9 said they did know that Ms Ngxonono will seek revenge against them because of the section 106 report in which she is implicated for corruption.
Ms Ngxonono is a member of the ANC regional executive committee.
These councillors said they are the ones who requested the provincial government to launch an investigation during Ms Ngxonono tenure and all of them are now targeted to be removed as councillors.
They claim a group of people who are not even ANC members is being used to implement this.
“We were victimised during the nomination processes in our wards by a group of people who are not even residing in our wards. The processes were flouted and the municipal law enforcers threatened us.
“We asked ourselves why they are involved in the ANC or political battles.
“We also want to know why Ms Ngxonono is still part of the council when she has been implicated in a section 106 report for corruption,” said one of the G9 councillors who wanted to remain anonymous.
In Lebohang township, members of the community also alleged that the speaker of Govan Mbeki Municipality, Ms Fikile Nyembe has placed herself on the list of candidates without the knowledge of the community and ANC branches in the area.
Residents said they are unhappy about the way things are being done by the regional ANC representatives.
Mr Muzi Chirwa, an ANC Gert Sibande regional chairperson, said the ANC is looking into these matters.
“If ANC guidelines were flouted, that nomination process will be revised.
“We have made this commitment to the ANC National Executive Committee that no one will get themselves on the list without the required processes being followed.
“Even if that candidate is registered at the Independent Electoral Commission, he or she will be removed,” said Mr Chirwa.
