‘We are not anarchists’

The ANC committee elected at a meeting held parallel to the party’s Tshwane regional conference at which mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa was re-elected chairman has dismissed claims that it is “a bunch of anarchists aimed at sowing division within the party”.

“We are not anarchists,” said the group’s regional secretary, Joel Mphahlwa.

“We are raising issues that need the attention of the (provincial executive committee) and the (national executive committee).”

Briefing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, Mphahlwa said this was a political problem that needed a political solution.

“Suspending us won’t solve the problems. Our branches will remain unhappy.”

Mphahlwa said all the group wanted was for the provincial and national executive committees to come out and resolve the matter.

Referring to the ANC’s conference next year, he said “Mangaung has started and we are the first victims”.

Asked if the group supported suggestions that President Jacob Zuma serve a second term as ANC leader, he said: “We support President Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe and all the ANC leadership.”

Mphahlwa said the national executive committee had not opened the succession debate, but the issue was in the public domain.

The issue had been raised in a Sunday newspaper, and there were a number of pressing matters in the Tshwane region that needed urgent attention, he said.

These included allegations that executive mayor Ramokgopa used council funds to finance his election campaign and those of the provincial representatives, who were charged with overseeing branch biennial general meetings and were said to have taken sides and to lack integrity.

Mphahlwa said the group stood by decisions taken at the conference at which they were elected into office at the weekend.

He said 52 of the 101 branches took part in the conference, held at the Justice College.

“These branches have got problems,” Mphahlwa said.

“Instead of suspending us, comrade (David) Makhura should try to attend to these problems.”

Mphahlwa said they were concerned that problems raised by branches had not been resolved by the provincial executive committee.

They were disciplined members of the ANC “and all we want is that things should go back to normal” in the region.

“Our objective is to make sure the national and provincial executive committees resolve the situation,” said Mphahlwa.

On allegations that the group was made up of hooligans – some of whom had allegedly taken part in cash-in-transit heists – Mphahlwa said “these allegations will always surface”.

“Why does (David Makhura) not go to the police with the evidence?”

Mphahlwa said the group had not received financial backing from any business people. The money was provided by the branches.

Mafika Mahlangu, elected regional chairman at the parallel conference, said the group was not trying to defy the ANC, but trying to defend the party’s constitution.

He said problems had begun when Tshwane “swallowed” Metsweding.

“We are of the opinion that the Tshwane region and Metsweding region should have been disbanded, paving the way for a new regional executive committee in Tshwane.” - Pretoria News