Issued by the office of the ANC Provincial Secretary
As ANC branches present Comrades who have been nominated to stand for Ward Councillor positions during the second leg of the primary nominations, we wish to remind all ANC structures to make sure that the process is done peacefully, with respect, orderly and guided by the interest of the community at heart.
It is important that only the best, smart, hardworking, committed and selfless candidates must be nominated to lead their communities.
The ANC resolved to employ this approach to present our Ward Councillor candidates to this form of a primary nomination process in order for the community to have a say on the candidates we will present to the wards for the upcoming local government elections as ANC candidates.
We are doing this to expand participatory democracy in our society and this gives effect to the freedom charter article that, the people shall govern.
Governing starts with the people nominating and electing their own leaders who will be tasked to facilitate community development, transformation and growth of all communities.
Comrades, who didn’t win primary branch nominations, are encouraged to support those that were nominated in this democratic process. There must be no animosity characterized by de-campaigning against other comrades and violence aimed at the outcomes of this democratic processes.
ANC comrades are encouraged to ensure that opposition parties and independent candidates don’t interfere with this process for their selfish interests.
We are doing this to benefit local communities by granting them an opportunity to nominate Councillors through this primary nomination process ahead of the local government elections.
We urge comrades who didn’t win branch nominations and those that will not make the cut after the community participation in this primary nomination process to accept the outcome of the process and if they have interest, to wait for the next round of such nominations in future elections.
Democracy is not about interests of individual candidates but about community development, human transformation and growth.
All of us must understand this principle as we engage in the primary nomination of candidates for the Ward elections during the local government elections.
The guiding principle in this primary is to ensure that we nominate the best ANC comrades to stand as ward candidates for the local government elections.
Unlike other political parties, such as the DA, that appoint candidates behind closed door, the ANC respects our communities by giving them an opportunity to nominate a person they want to lead their development.
Employing ward candidates behind closed doors as the DA does is akin to nepotism, favoritism as only friends, lackeys and guardians of factional interests and white supremacy are appointed to contest the local government elections.
Communities must reject this form of controlled democracy by not voting for the DA because if they vote for them, they allow a group of people to decide who becomes a ward candidate.
These elections are about choice. People have a choice between continuing with provision of basic services, creation of employment, provision of bursaries and human transformation as the ANC is doing.
As we drive development, we also respond to challenges faced by municipalities like fraud, corruption and delays to service delivery.
We set up structures, laws and policies that respond to these challenges. Our candidates must understand this and share this information with communities as they go to the second leg of the primary nomination of candidates.
Ends…
NB: This statement must be attributed to the ANC Provincial Elections Coordinator and Spokesperson; Mlibo Qoboshiyane.
For more information, please contact:
ANC Department of Information and Publicity Officer
Phindile Miza
083 750 3249
