ANC'S risky KZN gamble as the party fires task team

GOSSIPING about one another other at the Luthuli House and prioritising to be elected as leaders over rebuilding provincial structures is what led to the KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial task team (PTT) being shown the door, said ANC insiders.

- BONGANI HANS

An ANC regional leader in the province said the relationship among PTT members had reached its lowest level.

On the sidelines of the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) meeting in Boksburg this week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, announced that the PTT would be disbanded for its failure to achieve the National Executive Committee's (NEC) goal to rebuild the ANC in the province, which was previously its strongest province in the country. This resulted in the PTTs dismal failure to carry out the mandate of rebuilding the ANC structures.

The PTT was appointed in February this year, with former Justice and Constitutional Development minister Jeff Radebe as its convenor and former economic development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu as its coordinator.

The PTT was appointed to replace the provincial executive committee, whose chairperson was Siboniso Duma and secretary was Bheki Mtolo, after the ANC had lost control of the provincial government after last year’s general elections.

The sources said when it was appointed, the PTT was given two weeks to start a process of calling branch executive meetings (BGMs) to elect new branch leaders.

“There were zero BGMs held ahead of the NGC,” said one of the leaders.

When it was appointed, the PTT was instructed to disband all branches and regions and reconstitute them.

“However delegates from the province were sent to the NGC by non-existing branches, meaning those delegates represented cooked or fake branches,” he said.