The African National Congress (ANC) in the Province of the Eastern Cape held a Special Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) meeting on Monday, 26th March 2018. The Special PEC was convened to receive report on the NEC meeting that was held from the 23rd – 25th March 2018 in Cape Town.
The Special PEC received report on the NWC and NEC Report on the Sbu Ndebele Report regarding the ANC Eastern Cape 8th Provincial Conference held in September 2017 .The report was discussed by the NEC and resolved to affirm the Provincial Executive Committee .
In essence the ANC Eastern Cape PEC is endorsed and intact. The PEC has been assigned political responsibility to take charge of all organizational and mass work in the Province.
On Unity
NEC also resolved to undertake a healing process so as to unite the province, and take along all comrades to work together to build unity and cohesion. ANC National Officials led by the SGO will lead the healing process.
Working relations between PEC and the Premier will be strengthened through continuous engagements on strategy and implementation of governance programs .
The PEC noted challenges that have arisen as a result of the leadership challenges which faced us during the 8th Provincial Conference. We therefore agreed that we must restore the democratic values of the movement and ensure normalisation of the ANC. It was agreed that the unity of our movement remains paramount if we are to achieve our vision of fundamental social transformation.
We agreed that divisions and negative public perceptions arising from the leadership contestation period will have to be addressed on an on-going basis, to build unity and cohesion and the public standing of our movement. The PEC reiterated that the ANC belongs to all its members. Membership or leadership of the ANC must never be used to marginalised or exclude others. The ANC has found ways, even in the face of the most daunting circumstances, to embrace diversity and manage differences.
We acknowledge that the past few months have placed the unity of the ANC under great strain. We concede that the contestation of leadership positions, an important and necessary part of our democratic processes, served at times to fuel a perception of discord within our ranks. The organisation at all levels is engaged in a political programme of self-reflection and correction.
Nelson Mandela Bay
The ANC is in talks with other opposition parties to form a government that will address the socio-economic transformation in the Metro .The talks are guided by principles of working together to identify a credible Executive Mayor. It is for this reason that the ANC appreciates the cooperation of other political parties to form a coalition government.
Talks are underway and are at a very sensitive stage .We will communicate the package to govern Nelson Mandela Bay before the 29th March 2018 Council meeting.
The PEC expressed the view that the ANC should pursue an approach on coalition that puts the interests of the communities’ first .As the ANC we want to reiterate that we support the motion of no-confidence.
Mnquma Matter
PEC resolved to suspend four (4) Mnquma ANC Councillors for defying PEC decisions to bring political stability and good governance in that municipality. They will appear in the ANC Provincial Disciplinary Committee early next month .The ANC Mnquma Caucus is accountable to the ANC Provincial Executive Committee .No ANC member of any ANC Caucus is a free agent .They are deployees of the ANC in municipalities and take their directive from the party, as is the case in all political parties in South Africa.
The ANC PEC will not allow complete collapse of political and organizational discipline in the fear of being perceived as being factional .The ANC remains confident that our deployed cadres will appreciate the recent 54th National Conference’s injunction to never tolerate ill-discipline within our ranks and at all times , not to delay to take appropriate action to restore party discipline .
Corruption:
The PEC welcomes the arrest of 12 officials from Mnquma Municipality .This affirms our view that corruption and looting of municipal resources have been rife in that municipality at the expense of service delivery. We remain consistent in the fight against fraud and corruption .
Corruption is a serious challenge facing our democratic transformation. Many have appropriately defined corruption analogously as a cancer that eats at the fibre of our development, such that where it occurs, it leaves the various developmental initiatives morally bankrupt. Corruption subverts all initiatives to create a better life for all inspired by the greed of corrupt officials.
What corruption does, it loudly proclaims that the blood of Solomon Mahlangu, of Chris Hani and the various martyrs who fought for our constitutional democracy were shed in vain. Corruption is a criminal act that steals away the fruits of our liberation struggle and it must be declared the new enemy as apartheid was a common enemy for all justice loving people. We must be whistle blowers to acts of corruption and fraud.
Taxi violence
The PEC deplores the loss of lives in the on-going battle between rival taxi associations in the OR Tambo Region, particularly in Umtata and Libode. We demand the speedy arrest ,trial and sentencing of those responsible for these deadly shootings .Minister of Police, Comrade Beki Cele must investigate the alleged involvement of police in the taxi industry as that compromises the security of the state .
On Elections
The PEC noted that 2018 is the last year before the next general elections. During the course of this year, we will establish an election machinery to prepare for the 2019 elections. We are going to convene our own provincial strategy workshop to develop our provincial election strategy. The review instruments for ANC public representatives (MPs and MPLs) and members of the executive (Ministers, Deputies, Premiers) have been finalized. The NEC also adopted the List of Guidelines for selection of public representatives for the coming elections, and the branches will start nominations in due course.
The NEC has resolved that a Special NEC shall be convened, following engagement with all provinces, to assess the feasibility of convening Regional and Provincial Conferences ahead of the forth coming general elections. The PEC will request reports on state of each Region case by case for consideration to the NEC.
Conclusion
The PEC will stand together as we rally all ANC and Alliance activists and members behind a programme to build the ANC as the unequivocal leader and the engine of the movement for fundamental democratic change.
Issued by:
ANC EC Communications
Enquiries:
ANC Media & Liaison Officer
Judy Mpetsheni
Mobile No: 0636878267/0731176194
ANC EC Communications Manager
Gift Ngqondi
Mobile No: 0848439706/0849519924
