The Nkangala ANC leader is reportedly in trouble with some quarters of ANC members for living in Gauteng while serving in Mpumalanga.
ANC Nkangala chairman Speedy Mashilo is reportedly someone who eyes the Mpumalanga premier’s position only if Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa takes power in December.
He is seen as a threat to provincial leader David Mabuza’s united province and some branches want him removed from the position of regional chair, the TimesLive reports.
Accoding to the paper, the branches are angry that Mashilo lives in Gauteng while serving in Mpumalanga and are suggesting an early regional conference to have him removed.
Mashilo was re-elected chairman of the region four months ago.
The TimesLive reports that provincial executive committee of the ANC in the Mpumalanga province is due to meet this week where the removal of Mashilo will be discussed.
He bought a house in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane in August 2008 and has been living in it since then, travelling between the two provinces for organisational and governmental work.
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Insiders told the paper that Mashilo eyes the position of Premier should Ramaphosa win in December.
“A region in Mpumalanga cannot be led by someone from Gauteng. How does he explain being chairman of a region in Mpumalanga and an MEC, yet he resides in another province?” a branch leader told the TimesLive.
“Speedy is part of a cabal which is destabilising the region and province [for Ramaphosa to win],” the leader said.
Regional spokesman Sello Matshoga rubbished claims Mashilo was misrepresenting the region by staying in Gauteng.
He says as a region they don’t have problems with any of their members buying properties and “investing anywhere they like”.
He said they know of Mashilo’s Bronkhorstspruit house and said that Mashilo also has other properties in KwaMhlanga and JS Moroka ward 15 where his membership is.
“On the CR17 issue, those are just allegations and they don’t have basis. The chairperson has never said he supports a candidate, as a region we are supporting a unity view. We say if the NDZ and CR17 groups can be combined then all of us as ANC we come with one leadership,” Matshoga said.
He said for now they want branches “to lead the process” of nominating leaders.
“Our position is that we must allow branches to nominate and then we consolidate the list afterwards,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Speedy reacts to reports he supports CR17
(edited by ZK)
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