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The appointment of the North West ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) provincial task team has caused a serious division in the province with some women refusing to recognise the newly formed structure.
With only a week left before the provincial conference, the appointment of the ANCWL provincial task team has turned some members against each other and dashed the hope of unity among the women under the theme ‘women on top’.
Before the appointment of the ANCWL provincial task team, women leaders in the province, including Kenetswe Mosenogi, Motlalepula Rosho and Bitsa Lenkopane, were allegedly talking behind the scene with a view to unite the women to take over the leadership of the province.
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But the ANCWL special national task team’s announcement that a 13-women structure led by Lenkopane seemed to have turned the league members against each other.
Some of the women accused the national task team of taking a side and appointing Lenkopane’s aligned group without proper consultations.
The women in the new provincial task team include Bitsa Lenkopane – convenor, Bani Lobelo – coordinator, Francina Tsoku – fundraiser, Saku Phaladi, Joyce Mashishi, Elizabeth Mabebe, Mpolokeng Korjas, Motlalepula Machwe, Rebecca Seema, Lerato Babuseng, Betty Diakanyo, Patty Mongwaketse and Monica Sentle.
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The group, which claimed to have the support of the ANC Youth League in the province, refused to recognise the newly appointed structure, arguing that all the women appointed to the provincial task team were aligned to Lenkopane and were pushing for the radical economic transformation (RET) faction.
Lenkopane, who was initially linked to those supporting former chairperson Supra Mahumapelo, is now accused of supporting RET forces and Lindiwe Sisulu.
Said one member in the Bojanala Platinum region:
In a circulating social media post, another group wrote that they won’t allow the ANCWL in the province to be buried alive under their watch.
The group wrote a letter to the interim provincial committee (IPC) chairperson, Hlomani Chauke, to complain about the formation of the provincial task team.
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Chauke confirmed that the national structure sent them the list of the names of the newly appointed provincial task team.
He said the IPC was not involved or consulted during the process, but they don’t have a problem with the structure.
“Normally, when things like these happen, we are consulted or requested to be involved. But this time, nothing of that sort happened. “We were just sent the list of names from the national structure.”
He said he had not seen the letter of complaint from anybody.
“Maybe it’s with the secretary, but I have not personally seen it.”
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City Press has learnt that the division in the ANCWL could also affect the upcoming provincial conference.
According to the national task team, the provincial task team was appointed to take the women league in the province to the provincial conference with a long-term plan to have the national conference held before the end of the year.
