Leadership debate must continue: ANC

2011-09-07 16:05

Johannesburg - Discussion on the ruling party's future leaders must continue, the ANC's Gauteng secretary David Makhura said on Wednesday.

He was happy with the decision taken by the party's national executive committee (NEC) to allow branches to think for themselves on leadership choices, rather than being dictated to by certain party members.

"The discussion on leadership is not the same as succession. Who must succeed who, that's a nomination process," Makhura told reporters in Johannesburg.

"The ongoing discussion on the tasks and challenges of leadership by the ANC is something that the NEC says must happen all the time so we are happy with that decision."

In August, ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said branches should not be given a "list of slates" developed by a narrow, well-resourced circle in the ANC.

"Branches must be allowed to say 'that comrade did not do the work that he or she was given to do. Change that comrade'. And we are saying that culture must continue," he said at the time.

Liberate the ANC

"But if we do what is called succession, you are actually killing the branches of the ANC... that is a leadership responsibility; to liberate these branches from the vice of groupings that are intelligent, have the monopoly of wisdom, have resources, have a lot of cash flow around elections... We must liberate the ANC from that."

Mantashe argued the nationalisation of the mines could not be used as a tool for punting leaders ahead of the party's elective conference in Mangaung next year.

The Gauteng ANC had agreed to develop a discussion document detailing the calibre of cadres who should lead the movement. Makhura said this would ensure members had a disciplined debate on their organisation's future.

Elections in regional conferences in mid-September should not disrupt and destabilise the functioning of municipalities, he said. Makhura emphasised that regional conference elections would not result in changes in the current leadership of municipalities.

"We have instructed all mayors and other municipal leaders to focus on development priorities and urgent service delivery issues raised by communities during the local government elections.

"The leadership elections must not be allowed to divert the energy [of] ANC councillors away from service delivery issues."

Buying votes

He stressed that the "do's and don'ts" of lobbying were set out in its rules and regulations document.

"There is no circulation of money to buy votes. That's one of the rules."

The Gauteng branch said it was awaiting the finalisation of the establishment of an integrity committee.

Last month, ANC organiser Fikile Mbalula said a proposal had been put forward at the party's national general council. The committee would be tasked with looking into possible "conflict of interest" involving ANC members.

Its role would be investigative in nature. The outcome of probes would then be referred to a disciplinary committee if necessary.

- SAPA