ANC members in Nelson Mandela Bay must be patient over election lists - PEC

17 June 2016

Port Elizabeth - The ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) in the Eastern Cape has asked for party members to be patient while it assesses certain inaccuracies in its candidates lists in Nelson Mandela Bay.

PEC member Mlibo Qoboshiyane told News24 the PEC was "dealing with" the issues that need to be corrected."There were issues where branches are unhappy with individuals, but all these candidates were chosen through branch meetings. We have met as the PEC and we are scrutinising all candidates. We will then go back to the communities with feedback on our decision," Qoboshiyane said.This comes after ANC members in Nelson Mandela Bay raced to King William's Town to protest against the selection of candidates. eNCA reported that representatives from 17 ANC branches had said the lists were tampered with.

Qoboshiyane, however, said disgruntled party members said the ANC had not met its 50/50 gender quota.

"We have seen that some branches have not dealt with this matter and we are dealing with it. We have a 50/50 gender base and we understand the implication if this is not followed. Members of the ANC adopted the rules, they were aware that in cases where males are dominant, we will appoint female members in other positions," he said.

Qoboshiyane said the ANC was concerned that its candidate list dramas may escalate to violence, as in the case of KwaZulu-Natal.

"There is that concern. But we are certain that our members will understand the process and trust the leadership," he added.

Several ANC members have been killed and some injured in what are seemingly political attacks.

In May, a KwaZulu-Natal ANC councillor was killed and his wife critically injured when their car was shot at in KwaNongoma.

eThekwini ANC councillor, Zodwa Sibiya, was shot and killed at the Glebelands Hostel in Umlazi, Durban, in April.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.