Cape Town - Sixteen ANC councillors in four Western Cape regions are at risk of being booted out of councils.
The Cape Argus can exclusively reveal the ANC’s highest decision-making body, the national executive committee, has already adopted for implementation an internal report, which makes recommendations for “remedial action” to resolve the provincial lists saga over 16 PR and ward councillors’ positions.
The cases were processed by the party’s national disciplinary committee, chaired by former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Titled “Appeals post-elections Western Cape with Electoral Committee Final Rulings”, the report details transgressions and complaints in the internal lists processes before the 2021 municipal elections.
The report bears perilous implications for ANC councillors’ political careers in the Boland, Dullah Omar, Southern Cape and Overberg regions.
The report’s author, party electoral committee secretary Livhuwani Matsila processed 26 ANC candidates’ complaints and referred 16 grievances to the national disciplinary committee, while rejecting 10 cases.
The report and subsequent adoption by the NEC boosts most of the 16’s chances of replacing the PR incumbents, while a few by-elections would take place to replace ward councillors.
One of the cases includes newly-elected Boland secretary, Charl Jacobs, who had complained there was no adherence to rules during the lists process, but the lists committee dismissed his dispute.
Matsila overruled the committee: “The PLC (Provincial Lists Committee) verdict to dismiss this PR dispute in the Boland region on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction is rescinded … the alleged manipulation of the ordering of PR candidates is against the rules approved by the NEC for enforcement by the electoral committee and the PLCs. This case should be referred to the NDC for processing and remedial action.
“The electoral committee has done its work and presented recommendations which were adopted as decisions of the NEC for implementation by responsible structures.”
According to sources familiar with the matter, provincial conference machinations are delaying the implementation of removing the 16 councillors, whose election is now tainted, as they potentially carry influence for some leaders.
One source said ANC interim provincial co-ordinator Ronalda Nalumango had not acted on the recommendations because her caucus was affected and that could stymie her ambitions to be on the NEC.
Nalumango said because this was an NEC report, the secretary-general was best placed to respond.
ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, who is acting in the secretary-general position, did not respond for comment on the matter.
soyiso.maliti@inl.co.za