ANC DISMISSES DISUNITY SPECULATIONS

The ANC leadership has dismissed as hogwash media reports that the party was riddled with factions and internal battles
The ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) has lashed out at suggestions that there are two factions within the party in the Free State because of a constitutional court challenge by a pocket of Regime Change members.

The PEC’s comments comes in the wake of last week’s reserved Constitutional Court judgment in the case of six Regime Change members “purporting to be ANC Free State members”, who want to oust the provincial leadership.

ANC provincial spokesperson Oupa Khoabane has come out guns blazing after media reports that the organisation in the Free State is faced with a dilemma of infightings and parallel structures ahead of the Mangaung national elective conference in two weeks’ time.

Khoabane said the ANC in the province was united under the collective leadership lead by chairperson, Ace Magashule, that was elected unopposed at the provincial elective conference held in Parys in June this year.

He dismissed as mischievous reports that there were factions and internal fights within the ANC in the province.

According to Khoabane, the ANC in the province will not be distracted in its preparations for the national elective conference in Mangaung next week by a few disgruntled ANC members, who chose not to participate in the provincial elective conference.

He said the objective of this group is to sow divisions and disunity within the party and vowed that they will not succeed.
“They miss more chances of shaping internal remedies that must address grievances that comrades are having within the party. The PEC still maintains that the ruling party has no case pending in court. It is only that gang.”

“Some of them do not appear in the organisation’s files and the membership of others is not in good standing. With the material evidence we presented in reply to the founding affidavit that they filed, we are positive that we will win the case. The important thing for us, however, is not whether we win the case or not; what worries us is why should ANC members take the organisation to court despite the Polokwane resolution on the matter?” said Khoabane.

The Constitutional Court reserved its judgment after taking a decision to hear arguments filed by six regime change members, after losing their second attempt at the Bloemfontein High Court with costs, over the validity of the Free State ANC PEC.

Khoabane pointed out that the ANC members know and understand courts cannot resolve any internal disputes of the party.
“This group is being used by counter-revolutionary forces that are only interested in advancing their own agenda instead of putting people first, even if it means compromising unemployed and gullible members.”

He reiterated that the ANC reached a resolution in Polokwane that people who take the party to court will be deemed to have automatically expelled themselves from the party, but conceded that the country’s constitution gives everyone the right to do so.

“Even though invoking that dictum might seem to be against the supreme law of the country, we are determined to discourage our members from resorting to the courts of law on disputes within the organisation. The matter will still be dealt with in a disciplinary committee of the party.

“The outcome of the court battle, no matter what it is, will not affect the branches of the ANC in the province ahead of the national conference,” added Khoabane.

Khoabane concurred with Zuma’s statement at the party’s provincial rally in QwaQwa last weekend where he berated sections of the media and some political commentators for confusing the vibrant democracy practiced in the ANC with internal conflict.

“Media and analysts are misleading the people that there is a fight within the organisation ahead of the elective conference while there is nothing like that. What is happening is a vibrant democracy where all members have a say on how and who should lead the party. This is something other political parties don’t have,” said Zuma.

ANC secretary general, Gwede Mantashe and Magashule, have also assured ANC members in the province not be deterred by the court challenge.

They were both adamant that the ruling of the court would not result in any changes to the composition of Free State delegates that will attend the conference because there is no court case pending within the ANC itself.