Rasool prioritises humanitarian work over ANC role

THE ANC has no hard feelings against its veteran, Ebrahim Rasool, who recently rejected the deployment to convene the party’s provincial task team (PTT) in the Western Cape, the duty that the party hoped would improve its support for the upcoming local government elections.

- BONGANI HANS

In reconfiguring its provincial structure, the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) replaced the provincial executive committee (PEC) with the PTT and appointed Rasool as convenor.

The party appointed Linda Moss as the first deputy convener, Vuyiso Tyhalisisu as second deputy convener, Thandi Manikivana Makasi as coordinator, Melanie Tembo as first deputy coordinator, Phlisa Makeleni as second deputy coordinator, and Richard Dyantyi as fundraiser.

However, the NEC has since replaced Rasool with the former councillor of Cape Town Municipality, Jeremia Thuynsma, after the former ambassador to the United States had declined the appointment.

ANC provincial spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said the party welcomed Rasool’s decision to excuse himself, which he said was not a declination, “but a plea to focus his energies on international work, which is a very important pillar of our agenda”.