Unionists and communists say they will watch from afar while their comrades in the ANC fight to get elected at an upcoming elective conference.
Mpumalanga’s alliance partners won’t partake or pronounce the names of people in ANC provincial battles after an order not to do so was delivered to comrades, this paper has learnt.
The order which follows “engagements and resolution” seems to be influenced by the provincial SACP who sources say is a party ‘tired’ of fighting ANC battles and this alliance partner will now rather mind its own socialist ideological business than “engaging on the factional battle lines of the ANC”.
013NEWS learnt from high ranking alliance leaders how they have observed the provincial battles in Mpumalanga and the decision to support “nobody but everyone” when a 13th congress is held to elect DD Mabuza’s successor.
It was a decision supported by “scientific analysis”, SACP leaders said, and had to be “communicated down to branches” where members will see for themselves that the involvement in ANC battles affects their relations with the ANC.
The young communist league (YCL) in Mpumalanga said a decision by its mother-body SACP to not partake in any of the current ANC provincial “factional battles” was taken after the realisation that both Premier Refilwe Tsipane and ANC acting chairman Mandla Ndlovu were both actually deputy president DD Mabuza’s candidates.
YCL provincial secretary Themba ‘Ntshebe’ Ntimane said by virtue of supporting any of the two “you are supporting Mabuza” and that as communists they won’t do.
Ntimane addressed the 8th congress of the Gert Sibande YCL the past weekend – a region where regional ANC chairperson Muzi Chirwa bids to be the next Mpumalanga ANC provincial secretary and where his lobbyists are hard at work to get him to win the hearts of averyone.
ALSO SEE: “I’m not THAT ambitious to lead, I’m a footsoldier here” – Muzi Chirwa
Ntimane poured cold water on what he said were Mabuza’s candidates gunning for the chairpersonship that became vacant when he got elected deputy president in Nasrec on 18 December 2017.
Ntimane said he sits in the SACP’s highest decision making body, the PEC and PWC, and they have resolved that they “are not going to support any of the factions” but will “support everyone” and not take sides.
He explained to the delegates how in the past 10 years the SACP suffered severe blows in their relations with the ANC Mpumalanga for choosing candidates in the lead up to ANC conferences and this time they are not going to do it.
He said they will rather stick with the branches and identify leaders who will have to “swell ANC ranks” and be supported to serve.
He told the YCL delegates at Ermelo’s Dona Bella conference centre on 23 November 2019 that they are not interested in both Ndlovu and Tsipane as both are not SACP members.
Ntimane said they didn’t understand the reasons under which they must “continue to solve ANC problems” and support people who are not even communists in the first place.
Leaders of SACP and Cosatu say they plan to support everyone who wants to lead and respect alliance partners.
ALSO SEE: I won’t tell you who I support, Vusi Shongwe
“These comrades [Ndlovu and Tsipane] are people of DD Mabuza and do not belong in our structures as communists,” said Ntimane.
“So when we begin to take side between Mandla and Refilwe we are basically saying ‘we support DD’ because both are DD’s candidates,” Ntimane told the gathering.
ALSO RELATED: SANCO warns of “rising Mpumalanga ANC factions”
Mpumalanga Nehawu leader Welcome Mnisi said they won’t talk because they have taken a decision not to as PEC. He said they are only permitted to as individual ANC members.
But SANCO said they have a view and will support Tsipane to take over as ANC provincial chairperson
Provincial spokesman Sfiso Zulu said they have taken the decision to work with Tsipane after they realised that she was a humble woman and was willing to work towards solving community issues.
“Last month we had a PEC meeting in Belfast and our view was that based on the current relations we have with the Premier members of SANCO who are ANC members should support her and that should happen on their mandates as branches and community members,” Zulu said.
He added as SANCO provincial leadership they will not do anything to force members who to support but “at their respective branches they have the space to see who they must support”.
“There are two slates in the province, Comrade Mandla and Refilwe, and members have right to choose who they want but the view we had in that PEC meeting was that based on the relationship we have with Tsipane our members should support her,” said Zulu.
(edited by ZK)
Send tip-offs to editor@013.co.za