Eastern Cape 'hitlist' won't deter ANC
2011-04-05 19:46
Johannesburg - Threats to ANC members in the Eastern Cape will not deter the party from fulfilling its mandate to South Africans, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Tuesday.
"We call on our structures to distance themselves from those seeking personal gain. We want to warn all those that bringing the organisation into disrepute that they run the risk of excluding themselves from the organisation," Mantashe said in a statement.
The Hawks confirmed that two people were arrested last week over an alleged plot to kill five ANC leaders, including provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane and Local Government MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane, the ANC's provincial spokesman.
The pair appeared in court on Friday and were remanded in custody. They were due back in court on Wednesday.
They were reportedly suspected of being involved in a plot to kill the ANC leaders who blocked their preferred candidates from contesting local government positions in the upcoming May 18 polls.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape witnessed a revolt over its local election candidate lists recently with members in various regions taking the party to court over the candidate selection process.
The ANC's troubles in the province have not ended with the submission of the candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission. The Dispatch online reported on Tuesday that 56 members of the party lodged an urgent application at the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha on Monday.
The members from the OR Tambo region, the report said, wanted the IEC to reject the lists which they charge were tampered with.
Faceless people
Mantashe said four people were arrested for the hit list. Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela could not immediately be reached for comment on the additional arrests.
Mantashe said the hit list showed the "extent to which the situation has deteriorated in the Eastern Cape".
"As the ANC we will not tolerate unwarranted diversions that are informed by counter revolutionary agendas."
The ANC had four court cases from members in the Eastern Cape. All the cases were dismissed in the ANC's favour.
"These cases did not stand a legal process on the grounds of the court decision. We are concerned with the consistency of those involved.
"Ordinary members of the ANC do not have resources that can pursue the matter to the level of the high court unless there are faceless people that are bank rolling these court cases."
Mantashe said, overall, the ANC was "satisfied" with its list process.
"We have achieved ANC policy on gender parity, representation and continuity. This will ensure that we win large numbers of wards even in opposition strong holds."
He said the challenged stemmed from the "new and necessary approach" the ANC adopted to candidate selection - it subjected candidates to scrutiny by the communities they were nominated to serve.
- SAPA
