With just weeks before the Eastern Cape ANC goes to its 10th elective conference, some members of premier Oscar Mabuyane’s cabinet, once close allies, are set to battle for the province’s top party seats.
The province’s two warring ANC factions, one supporting Mabuyane and the other provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, are set to go head-to-head during a much-anticipated elective conference scheduled to sit between March 27 and 30.
This is expected to be a tight contest between the two factions, Ngcukayitobi’s “Thina Bantu”, or “We, the people”, faction, against Mabuyane’s grouping dubbed “Thina Masebe, or “We, the branches”.
While Mabuyane and Ngcukayitobi will be vying for the province’s ANC chair position, appearing on the Ngcukayitobi slate is education MEC Fundile Gade, who is touted as Ngcukayitobi’s possible deputy, should he win, and co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Zolile Williams, who will be vying for a second term as ANC provincial treasurer.
Finance MEC Mlungisi Mvoko is expected to contest Gade as possible deputy provincial chair, campaigning under Mabuyane’s slate.
Should Mabuyane and Mvoko’s slate emerge victorious, Mvoko will return as deputy chair for a third term.
The expected showdown will also see other provincial cabinet members divided in their support for Mabuyane and Ngcukayitobi.
A number of party insiders, who did not want to be identified, confirmed that the Ngcukayitobi faction had finalised its slate for the top-five ANC positions, while the Mabuyane grouping was yet to decide who would take over from Williams as the ANC’s provincial treasurer.
The Mabuyane grouping is still awaiting a PEC verdict on whether Chris Hani regional chair and mayor Lusanda Sizani will be able to compete in the upcoming conference or will be slapped with a step-aside verdict.
The talk in political corridors is that Sizani has ambitions to take over from Ngcukayitobi as the new provincial secretary.
His [Sizani’s] ambitions to occupy a seat in the province’s top five depends on whether the PEC endorses a decision of the integrity commission for him to step aside or not
— A PEC insider
“If Lusanda is cleared by the PEC, which is sitting today [Monday], there is also a possibility that experienced comrade Helen Sauls-August could take over as provincial secretary, and comrade Lusanda be made her deputy.
“His [Sizani’s] ambitions to occupy a seat in the province’s top five depends on whether the PEC endorses a decision of the integrity commission for him to step aside or not,” one PEC insider said.
While Sizani and Sauls-August are touted to take over the ANC’s provincial secretariat’s office, should the “Thina Masebe” faction emerge victorious, they are expected to face a stiff challenge from Nelson Mandela Bay’s Luyolo Nqakula and Makana mayor Yandiswa Vara.
They have raised their hands to contest for the provincial secretary and deputy positions, respectively, under the “Thina Bantu” faction.
“The Diya [Mabuyane] group is still undecided on whether to keep comrade Helen as the deputy secretary and put [Sizani] in as provincial secretary, or vice versa,” another party insider said.
The ANC provincial integrity commission had recently recommended that Sizani step aside as the party’s regional leader and mayor after being charged for negligence and contravention of the Firearms Control Act.
This after his personal firearm was allegedly stolen while inside a bag in his vehicle, which was parked outside a bank in East London, a year ago.
At the time of publication on Tuesday, it was not clear what had transpired at the PEC meeting regarding Sizani’s future.
Nqakula, who had himself been a victim of the step-aside policy, recently made a comeback to full-time politics after criminal charges against him were withdrawn by a Gqeberha court on February 5.
Nqakula, who was the party’s regional secretary in Nelson Mandela Bay, stepped aside from his role four years ago after he and nine others were charged for alleged fraud and procurement irregularities relating to a R24m Covid-19 emergency toilet project in Gqeberha.
He is now suing the state for R20m for instituting “fabricated and hopeless charges” against him.
While the “Thina Bantu” faction is set to have Williams contesting for a second term as provincial treasurer, party insiders say the “Thina Masebe” faction is yet to decide on who they will field to look after the party’s finances, should they be victorious.
“There are a number of comrades after that position” another PEC insider said.
“For instance, in the Dr WB Rubusana region, the names of the regional chair, Princess Faku, and her deputy, Malibongwe Mfazwe, are some of the names being bandied around in the Mabuyane camp.
“There is also Nanziwe Rulashe of Amathole ... and Mesuli Ngqondwana in OR Tambo, while there is also Tsileng Sobuthongo from Alfred Nzo that are being discussed.
“However, so far, there is still no concrete decision on that one.”
While Mvoko, Williams, Mabuyane and Ngcukayitobi could not be reached for comment on Monday as they were attending the PEC meeting, Nqakula and Gade confirmed they would be contesting for the provincial positions.
Daily Dispatch
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