The secretary of the ANC in the region is the cause of the by-elections in the area.
A manipulation of the process led to the wrong person being selected, leading to the ANC starting afresh.
And Nkangala regional secretary Leah Khoza has been fingered in the squabble that led to the selection of Maria Sepenyane as ward councillor candidate in the Delmas area of Delpark and Malita’s ward 6 in Mpumalanga.
Mishack Mthombeni – the man who was chosen by the community members to be ward 6 councillor candidate – revealed this when he was speaking to 013NEWS on Sunday morning.
During an ANC branch general meeting earlier this year, the names of Mthombeni, Sepenyane and that of then outgoing ward councillor Thandi Shabangu were picked by party members.
Mthombeni said this branch meeting, “well attended” was “fair and square” in its selection process as well as a community meeting a day later but then the regional secretary manipulated the list in favour of Sepenyane.
“What happened was that the following day in the community meeting, comrade Thandi got 4 votes and comrade Maria got around 10 or something I can’t remember but it was low and on me it was obvious because the whole hall raised their hands to say they want me.
“Now everything went smooth and the comrades, regional and provincial delegates accepted that I was nominated.
“Then somewhere I don’t know what happened.
“Comrade Leah Khoza was doing the IEC registration and afterwards I learnt my name was no longer there and we questioned and she began not to answer our calls,” said Mthombeni.
Addressing the 1st provincial executive committee lekgotla – post elections – on 3 September provincial chairman, DD Mabuza hit hard on “regional leaders who had imposed candidates on the community” and “branches which had manipulated processes.”
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“The ANC must accept, its within the policy of the ANC that; allow the people to elect their own candidate. It can’t be about friendship, it cant be about putting your friend to be a councillor.
And I know some of those comrades who did that and I had an opportunity to tell them; don’t do this, don’t do that and we suffered because of that,” Mabuza said at the time.
He said leaders who did not “shape up” would have to “ship out.”
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When contacted for comment Khoza told 013NEWS that she was in hospital and could not talk, referring queries to regional spokesman Sello Matshokga who said “indeed a mistake occurred” during the submission of names.
“That’s why we have decided to start afresh with the process and that’s why now we have the by-elections,” said Matshokga.
(edited by ZK)
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