ANC branches reject Duarte

Five other provinces vow not to support her

SIXTY-EIGHT ANC ethekwini branches have vowed not to recognise ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte as the new acting secretary-general of the ruling party.

Luthuli House’s dilemma has shown no signs of de-escalation with branches now rising against the party’s top leadership due to the suspension of the party’s SG Ace Magashule at the instruction of the ANC National Working Committee.

According to councillor Ntando Khuzwayo, the spokesperson for the 68 ANC branches that have called for a special conference and immediate resignation of the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC), ANC branches in ethekwini and five other provinces have resolved not to recognise Jessie Duarte as acting SG.

Khuzwayo did not mince his words, criticising the top leadership for allegedly suppressing internal discussions and using dominant NEC factions to deal aggressively with those who differ with them.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has openly confirmed that there is no unity in the ANC, now we ask who they are leading because the branches on the ground do not want them anymore.

“We reject the mushrooming of Duarte as the acting secretary-general because she was forcefully imposed on us. Branches did not elect her for that position, and we refuse to have factional people leading the ANC.”

“The ANC must listen to branches which made a sober choice at Nasrec, entrusting Magashule with a responsibility to run as an engine of the movement. The ANC must give the people what they want and do as the people have requested,” said Khuzwayo.

Asked whether this would not land him and the branches in trouble with the party’s leadership, Khuzwayo said he believed he had followed the right channels but was ignored by the NEC who did not reply to the ethekwini branches’ recent letter.

Responding on the issue of the ethekwini branches’ refusal to recognise Duarte, ANC Kwazulu-natal spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said claims made by Khuzwayo and other individuals did not represent the views of the province.

Further, he said there were only 16 branches in good standing and not 68 as previously alleged.

Ntombela added that the estimated number of ANC KZN branches was about 110 when they have all launched, but at present, ethekwini had not been able to launch half the branches.

“There are 16 existing branches in ethekwini. The rest have not launched, but do have branch task teams in the interim in place to ensure preparations for such branches to launch,” said Ntombela.

On the step aside list, Ntombela said more regions were expected to submit names of individuals accused or charged with corruption and/or other crimes.

Chaos erupted last week when the ANC ethekwini region branches, in support of former president Jacob Zuma and Magashule, called for the immediate reinstatement of Magashule, and to avoid factionalism.

The branches called for the NEC to convene a special national conference for the ANC to discuss these guidelines that have the potential to divide the party.

This came after the Kwamashu ANC constituency office, represented by chairperson Simiso Mkhize and secretary Curnick Ndlovu Zane, wrote to the ANC prior to the NEC meeting last week, requesting the NEC not to include the step aside resolution to avoid further divisions within the party.

“We, therefore, write to the NEC to take the structures on board and that the matter be removed from the agenda items up until the consultation process is concluded. As structures of the ANC, we strongly believe that we have a huge role to play in advising the NEC on the matter. The matter has proven to be a problem that can lead the organisation to self destruct, so the participation of structures is of paramount importance.

“The matter will need wide consultation because there is a contradiction and a deviation of guidelines from the Conference resolutions. The consultation process will serve as a form of explaining the guidelines to the structures and interpreting the conference resolution as they should be understood.

“We were hoping that at least, there will be an opportunity for engagement on this matter before the NEC resolves on it,” read their letter.

Political analyst Xolani Dube has described the developments as something that was always going to be an issue as factions grew within the party.