Complex ANC Boland region elects new leadership in heated conference
|Published
Charl Jacobs has been elected new secretary for the ANC Boland region. Picture: Facebook
Cape Town - Despite a legal threat and questions about the credentials of voting delegates, the ANC Boland region elected a new leadership in a heated conference in Worcester at the weekend.
In a total sweep, the seventh Boland regional conference, which had more than 150 delegates, elected Patrice Mangena as chairperson, Sebenzile Kiva as deputy chairperson, Charl Jacobs as secretary, Clare Davids as deputy secretary and Anele Paliso as treasurer.
The conference was supposed to have taken place in early September but was delayed due to a number of issues, including the threshold of wards and delegates.
Voting took place on Saturday night.
An email sent on Sunday morning by an independent elections agency official, Busi Ngcebetsha, to senior ANC leaders in the province, including MP Richard Dyantyi, confirmed the regional executive committee (REC) to include Judy Mafilika, Sharon Davids, Abe Bekeur, Russel Johnson, Elize Isaacs, Christine Moses, Jean van Rooyen, Angela Flink, Masechaba Khoka, Mpumelelo Lubisi, Phillip Tyira, Themba Mgoboza, Collin Rens, Zukiswa Nomana, Johnnery Mouton, Vivian Swangazi, Sheila Zikhali, Nonzame Potwana, Kobus Davids and Lynette Klaasen.
ANC Western Cape spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni confirmed the list to the Cape Argus.
Rural4Change, the winning faction, only latterly started rooting for President Cyril Ramaphosa to be given a second term.
A source in the new leadership was reluctant to explain details around this decision over the phone on Sunday.
Sources in the new leadership said they support Paul Mashatile as deputy president and Mdumiseni Ntuli as secretary-general.
The elected leadership defeated Dan Malapi, Boy-Boy Ntshingila, Silas Rataza, Mncedisi Nobhala and Ovenita Sampson for the top five positions.
ANC Boland members gesticulated and heckled a leader on the dais when he suggested that the conference continues, despite their grievances. Voting eventually happened at night. Conference also endorsed Ramaphosa for 2nd term, Paul Mashatile for deputy & Mdumiseni Ntuli for SG. pic.twitter.com/HeievJjucn
— Soyiso Maliti (@soyiso_maliti) October 3, 2022
On Friday, just hours before the conference began, delegates and members in the region were sent a letter by CMB Attorneys, seeking to halt the conference as they claimed to represent aggrieved “clients” Owenita Simpson, Richard Simpson, Reginald Badela, Boy Boy Ntshingila, Jacqueline Maliti, Hector Yabo and Shawn Willemse. Yabo sent the lawyers an email denying that he was their client.
The issue raised by the lawyers was that 70% of the branches in the region had not met and were not in good standing.
Scheduled for 9am, the conference was held at Somerset High School and delayed by several hours under a baking sun in the Winelands.
Scenes of shouting and gesticulating from the floor played out when the standing of certain wards and the constitutionality of the conference was raised.
The issue appears to be complicated by municipal demarcation of wards and a vacuum caused by Covid-19.
