Pretoria - The newly-elected chairperson of the regional ANC in Tshwane, Eugene “Bonzo” Modise has a daunting task of uniting the region cut out for him following disappointments expressed by party members who threatened to interdict the elective conference at weekend.
Aggrieved members who protested outside the Indaba hotel in Fourways, where the conference was hosted, claimed they were being excluded from participating as voting delegates of their respective branches.
Their threats to obtain a court interdict to halt the conference were never carried out after the provincial executive committee and the regional task team came on board to resolve their issues.
Modise said the task of the incoming regional executive committee (REC) would include uniting the party in the region.
He said members who were unhappy with the conference outcome would be expected to rally behind the new leadership.
“A conference is a constitutional imperative and so there is democracy there. When there is leadership elected we rally behind the leadership and that is the nature of the ANC,” he said.
He said all members who were disgruntled during the conference would be visited and engaged in an effort to rebuild the party.
He said the REC was determined to unite the region “and we are going to make sure that we go to the lost ground to ensure that the image of the ANC is taken back to its glory days and ensure that every member of the ANC enjoys being a member of the ANC in the region”.
Modise said the executive committee would also have its sights set on repositioning the ANC for the 2024 provincial and national elections and beyond.
“That is the critical task that we are going to embark on as the new regional executive committee and the additional members,” he said.
The ANC was also aiming at winning back the City of Tshwane from the multi-party coalition made by the DA, ActionSA, Freedom-Front Plus, Congress of the People, ACDP and Inkatha Freedom Party.
“Our task is that by 2026 we claim the city and we win the city back to its rightful owners who are the people of Tshwane, '' he said.
According to him, the party was on the verge of implementing its programmes for reclaiming lost ground in Tshwane after 2018. However, he said, those programmes were disrupted by the Covid-19 outbreak.
“After 2018 we made an assessment of the local government and provincial government elections. We have identified four shortcomings from our organisation. It is a given that people are having confidence in the ANC and that is why we are running 70 wards out of 107 wards in the region. It is a demonstration that they have confidence in us. We just have to clean our house and ensure that they come back to the ANC,” Modise said.
He said the ANC was not desperate for power and that it would continue to occupy opposition benches.
“As of now we are intending on going into government with anyone else. We want to ensure that we retain the integrity of the organisation and we are determined to remain in the opposition benches serving our communities. We are not desperate for power,” he said.
Modise, who is the former regional secretary, secured 174 votes to beat former ANC caucus leader in council, Dr Kgosi Maepa, who got 84 votes.
His deputy is the current caucus leader, Frans Boshielo, who received 158 votes to win against Kgaugelo Nkosi, who received 101 votes.
Former deputy regional secretary, George Matjila, came back into the executive as a regional secretary after amassing 162 votes to beat the regional secretary of the South African Municipal Workers Union, Mpho Tladinyane, who received 96 votes. The new deputy regional secretary is Sidwell Manana.
Former deputy chairperson Aaron Maluleka declined nomination from the floor for regional treasurer and Simphiwe Mbatha was voted into the position with 162 votes.
Pretoria News