ANC NEC to discuss land, crime, racism - Mantashe
Johannesburg - Differences within the African National Congress about land redistribution and expropriation are expected to be discussed at the party's national executive committee three-day meeting in Irene, Pretoria.
The controversial issue would be top of the agenda, after President Jacob Zuma used his political overview to the meeting on Friday to raise it, secretary general Gwede Mantashe told reporters.
"There were quite a number of themes that came through, but three main ones are the question of land, the question of crime, and the question of racism and growing anger that is beginning to manifest all over the country," Mantashe said.
Since his State of the Nation Address in February, Zuma had called for a more radical approach to land redistribution. He called for the Constitution to be changed to allow for land to be expropriated without compensation.
Several senior ANC leaders, including Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor, ANC treasurer Zweli Mkhize, and Mantashe had however said there was no need to change the Constitution.
Land policy
The governing party is under pressure after its current policy failed to fast-track land redistribution to blacks. The Economic Freedom Fighters had used this failure to win support.
"At this point the majority of land is in the hands of white South Africans. That is not an acceptable situation. We must ensure that land is distributed. Black South Africans must have access to land," Mantashe said.
The land furore is expected to come to a head at the party's policy conference in June. The views contained in the ANC's discussion policy documents are at odds with Zuma's views on expropriation without compensation.
In February, Zuma declared 2017 the year of "taking land back to the people".
According to a Mail & Guardian report, differences about land emerged at the ANC's national working committee meeting on Monday. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa reportedly suggested that special NEC meeting be held to discuss the matter.
Mantashe said the party would discuss the policy proposals and what needed to happen to accelerate the process.
The NEC would discuss the controversy about the ANC's newly-elected Nelson Mandela Bay chairperson Andile Lungisa, who has openly defied Mantashe by refusing to step down.
Lungisa, who is an ANC Eastern Cape executive committee member, contested and won the position of regional chair last weekend.
This was despite Mantashe writing to him beforehand and warning that the party's constitution did not allow a member occupying a senior position to stand for a lower position without first resigning.
Lungisa had referred the matter to the NEC and refused to resign until the ANC's national leadership had dealt with it.
Mantashe said the NEC would not be converted into a disciplinary committee. Smaller committees dealt with disciplinary issues, he said.
"It's not a Lungisa matter by the way, it's a principle issue. People in higher organs cannot stand for positions in lower organs. There is no Lungisa matter before NEC."
ANC defers divisive land debate to a special NEC
The ANC will hold a special National Executive Committee meeting to discuss the divisive land issue, also expected to be used as a rallying call ahead of its December elective conference.
Two sources confirmed to News24 that the party decided on Friday night to defer the land debate to a special NEC meeting instead of discussing it this weekend. The party's highest decision making body between conferences is meeting in Irene until Sunday.
The meeting adopted a proposal by its national working committee for a special meeting, following deep divisions that have also played out in the public arena. The Mail and Guardian reported on Friday that party deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa had suggested the special NEC at the Monday NWC amidst differences on the matter.
The sources confirm that President Jacob Zuma had pushed through his radical stance for expropriation without compensation in his political address to the meeting, arguing it is a long standing party resolution.
His address was also seen as "hitting back" at his detractors.
"The president was very hard, especially to those who thought he was being a populist by calling for legislation to be changed to allow for expropriation without compensation."
"He told us that expropriation without compensation was a party resolution that has not been implemented and that when he calls for it, he cant be labelled a populist," the source said. Constitution Several ANC leaders including Science and Technology minister Naledi Pandoor, Treasurer General Zweli Mkhize and Secretary General Gwede Mantashe have publicly contradicted Zuma on the need to change the Constitution to allow for land expropriation without compensation. Zuma recently also contradicted party Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu when he said that the ANC in Parliament should have voted in favour of an EFF motion to amend section 25 of the constitution to allow for the expropriation of land without compensation.
The EFF offered the governing party its 6% to give it a two thirds majority to amend the constitution, but the party caucus rejected it, supported by the DA. The special NEC on land is expected to be held before the policy conference. The divisions on land are expected to play out at the June Policy conference when Zuma's supporters are expected to push for the more radical stance. They are unhappy with the policy document released for discussion, arguing that its stance on land is watered down from the 2012 Mangaung congress that in principle supported expropriation without compensation within section 25 of the constitution.
