The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape has distanced itself from a letter written by its provincial secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, to the party’s national leadership, raising concerns about alleged irregularities ahead of the upcoming provincial elective conference.
Ngcukayitobi outlined a series of alleged issues linked to conference preparations, including the unlawful issuing of QR codes for Branch General Meetings, alleged manipulation of the party’s membership system, and what he describes as the inconsistent application of the ANC’s step-aside policy.
The conference, scheduled for next Friday, is expected to be hotly contested, with Ngcukayitobi set to challenge incumbent provincial chairperson Oscar Mabuyane for the top position.
However, the ANC in the province has moved swiftly to clarify that the contents of the letter do not reflect the official position of its leadership collective.
Provincial spokesperson Yanga Zicina said Ngcukayitobi failed to follow internal party processes before escalating the matter to national leaders.
“It does not represent the aspirations and the decisions of the Provincial Executive Committee, and the provincial secretary would have then written such a letter in his personal capacity,” Zicina said.
Meanwhile, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has criticised Ngcukayitobi for bypassing his office and taking his concerns directly to the party’s top leadership.
Mbalula said the elective conference must proceed as planned, stressing that the organisation’s focus should remain on preparations for the upcoming local government elections. He emphasised the importance of proper communication channels within the party and urged Ngcukayitobi to raise any concerns directly with him.
The developments come amid heightened tensions within the ANC in the Eastern Cape, as internal factions position themselves ahead of the elective conference, which is expected to shape the party’s provincial leadership and influence its direction in the run-up to key elections.
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