ANC members fight over election of dead leaders, threats of suspension

Johannesburg - More trouble appears to be facing the ANC after the election of two troubled provincial structures, with one taking a strange twist after disgruntled members accused the governing party of appointing dead leaders.

The fight over the outcomes of the ANC North West and Free State provincial conferences has taken new turns. In the North West, disgruntled ANC members Lebogang Medupe, Lesego Serapelwane, Puso Moeng, Sello Molefe, and Itumeleng Moswane want the North West High Court in Mahikeng to declare that the provincial conference held between August 12 and 14 last year unlawful and that it should be reviewed and set aside.

Further south, in the Free State, the process to take the ANC to court has been delayed after Mangaung regional spokesperson Fannie Ledimo was suspended for issuing a media statement expressing concerns about parallel structures in the region, which derails the programme of unity and renewal in the organisation.

This was after the ANC in Mangaung held two regional conferences ahead of the Free State provincial conference. Both provincial executive committees were disbanded by the national leadership.

The five unhappy North West members accuse the ANC of committing gross and deliberate irregularities in the run-up to the gathering, which was finalised between August 27 and 28. They argue that the interim provincial structure’s (IPC’s) term in office lapsed in May 2020 but the ANC maintains that their application is 27 months too late as the party’s national executive committee (NEC) extended its (IPC’s) tenure at various meetings between June and August 2020.

The five members want to overturn the outcomes of the provincial conference and claim the top five leaders were not even nominated by ANC members delegated to the provincial conference. During the conference, Nono Maloyi was elected provincial chairperson, Lazzy Mokgosi as his deputy, Louis Diremelo as provincial secretary, Viola Motsumi (deputy provincial secretary), and Sello Lehari as treasurer, and they were ineligible to be elected.

This week, the disgruntled members upped the ante, accusing the ANC NEC of extending the IPC’s term and reappointing its members despite them having died or resigned at the time the resolution was passed.

"It is common cause that the following members of the IPC were deceased as of 26 – 29 July 2022, Maitu Kgaile succumbed to Covid-19 on Friday, 16 July 2021. Sophie Maine died on Wednesday, 18 August 2020 after a short illness. Oabetswe Johannes Tselapedi died on Sunday, 6 June 2021 after a short illness,” reads Molefe’s supplementary affidavit filed this week.

In addition, the unhappy ANC members also complained that former premiers – Supra Mahumapelo and Job Mokgoro – had resigned as ex-officio members of the IPC.

"Not only did the terms of the deceased IPC members end on April 29, 2020, whilst they were still alive, but their ANC membership also lapsed as at the respective dates of their passing, yet the ANC purportedly resolved on the 26 – 29 July 2022 (NEC meeting) to re-appoint these deceased members into the IPC, notwithstanding the fact that they were late,” Molefe argued.

Arguments in the case brought by Medupe, Serapelwane, Moeng, Molefe, and Moswane were expected to be heard on Friday by North West Deputy Judge President Tebogo Djaje, to request that the matter be allocated a date next week but they asked Judge President Ronald Hendricks to re-allocate their matter to a different presiding officer.

Meanwhile, Ledimo said the task team led by ANC NEC member David Mahlobo was meant to investigate what led to the parallel regional conferences but nothing has been done.

“To date, we have not received a report which in our view must be one that unites the region moving forward toward the elections. We call upon him (Mahlobo) not to delay the report because we cannot wait forever as if there are no parallel structures in the region,” Ledimo said in the statement.

He also raised concerns about the outcome of the provincial conference and the recalling of premier Sisi Ntombela and Mangaung mayor Mxolisi Siyonzana.

Ledimo, who is linked to former ANC secretary general Ace Magushule’s faction, alleged that regional leaders chopped and changed delegates against the report of the Elections Agency in the presence of NEC members Mahlobo and Mduduzi Manana.

He said the matter was raised at the plenary but was not given the deserved attention because Mahlobo was in a hurry to deliver the conference, despite the many red flags raised. Ledimo also said Ntombela’s recall would be premature and opportunistic of the newly-elected PEC, as her term will end a few months before the 2024 elections and would bring further instability to the government.

He also said recalling Siyonzana would not solve the issues of Mangaung.

However, the ANC in Free State issued a letter of suspension against Ledimo following his utterances. In the letter signed by ANC provincial secretary Polediso Motsoeneng, the party said Ledimo’s actions constituted an act of misconduct as secretary-general Fikile Mbalula issued correspondence in terms of which investigation was to ensue in the Mangaung regional conference.

“Whilst awaiting the outcome therein, you proceeded to conduct yourself in a manner contrary to the constitution of the ANC. It is the intention of the ANC to place you on suspension. You are accordingly afforded 48 hours within which to respond to these allegations, which 48 hours expire on Friday 10 at 11:00 am".

Those close to Ledimo said the ANC was trying to intimidate and silence him not to expose the claim that the newly-elected leadership stole the provincial conference.

On Friday, ANC Mangaung regional secretary Tonto Selebedi withdrew the letter of intention to suspend Ledimo.