Bold defiance against Mantashe in ANC Nelson Mandela Bay race
Cape Town – In bold defiance of a national directive, Andile Lungisa has accepted his nomination for the ANC regional leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Just hours after Lungisa said he would be pulling out of the race, he accepted the nomination following intense deliberations with delegates.
Delegates spent two hours discussing a letter from Secretary-General Gwede Mantashe, which detailed reasons why members could not be in two leadership positions.
In his letter, Mantashe reminded members of a resolution made in the 53rd National Congress, where members would not be allowed to serve simultaneously in more than one constitutional structure.
"We have consistently interpreted this as prohibiting comrades from higher organisations of the ANC from contesting positions in lower organs," Mantashe wrote.
The nominees were announced on day two of the regional congress, which is running more than six hours late.
Cheers and whistling greeted the announcement of Lungisa’s decision.
Other candidates are Tony Duba, who is running for chairperson as well.
Phumzile Tshuni and Wandisile Jikeka are standing for regional secretary, while Nontando Nikani and Desiree Davids are competing for the deputy secretary position.
Cedric Peterson and Mbulelo Bidani are vying for the treasurer position.
Even as congress delegates prepared to vote, there were still a lot of disgruntled members who were opposed to Lungisa’s candidacy.
A delegate said they needed to be mindful of the ANC constitution, even as they continued.
There were also concerns that the conference might be null and void, should they continue with the selection.
Delegates were so concerned about the ANC constitution that some were brandishing it, reading passages as they outlined the legality of the race.
After the nomination, delegates were raring to go to elections, with some suggesting a bypass of ballot papers and merely voting by show of hands.
In a statement, the ANC in the Eastern Cape said it was all systems go for the conference.
"The main task of the newly-elected leadership is to unite ANC and prepare for 2019 General Elections," spokesperson Mlibo Qoboshiyane said.- News24
Andile Lungisa claims victory in Nelson Mandela Bay
Port Elizabeth – After hours of negotiations, disputes and lessons in the Constitution, former ANC Youth League deputy chairperson Andile Lungisa has been elected to lead the ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Lungisa was elected when 71 voted in favour of his nomination, out of 129 delegates.
The congress also elected Phumzile Tshuni as deputy chairperson with 70 votes, and Themba Xathula as secretary, with 71 votes.
Desiree Davids is now the deputy secretary, with 71 votes, while Mbulelo Gidane got 68 votes in favour of his treasurer nomination.
Lungisa will now have to resign from the Provincial Executive Committee, as per the party’s constitution.
The region has been without a regional body for two years after President Jacob Zuma disbanded it when deep factions led to disunity.
'We are united'
Following the announcement of the results in the early hours of Sunday, Lungisa said their responsibility now was to start unifying the region.
“To make sure that in the next coming elections [people] will vote for the ANC,” he said.
Lungisa, who earlier in the congress had hinted at a possibility of withdrawing from the process due to a letter from ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, said he had heeded the call of the branches.
The letter remained something that would be dealt with internally, he said.
While there were a few grumbles when the results were announced, Lungisa did not foresee any disputes with the results.
“Everyone was happy, you could see. We are united,” he said.
His supporters, some of whom had been waiting for over 17 hours outside the gate, broke into song as soon as he came out.
“We have gotten rid of the thieves,” they sang.
The party will nominate their additional members on Sunday. - News24
Jovial Zuma gives new ANC NMB leader his stamp of approval
A jovial Jacob Zuma has given the new ANC Nelson Mandela Bay leader his stamp of approval.
Andile Lungisa was appointed as chairperson of the region on Sunday.
The president paid a surprise visit to the regional congress on Sunday, and called for the organisation to accept the decision "and take it as their own".
"We must do everything to bring hope to the people. And I'm glad that Nelson Mandela Bay taking a step in that direction."
He said he was excited that the party seemingly had a pain-free congress.
"Even as I was coming here, I didn't hear about any disputes."
He said any challenges they had come up against would come to pass "but they need strong leaders of the ANC".
He said he hoped the party, which lost control of Nelson Mandela Bay to the Democratic Alliance during the local government elections, had learnt its lesson.- News24
You have made me proud, Zuma tells NMB ANC
You have made me happy, you have made me proud, President Jacob Zuma told the ANC in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.
Armed with his signature giggle and endless praise, an excited Zuma has thrown his weight behind the newly elected regional leadership in Nelson Mandela Bay.
He praised the ANC in the region for electing young leadership.
They did not just elect balding and grey leaders, he said.
"We look at the quality of the person, you look at the energy of the person. We look at the consistency of the person. In other words, we choose the leader because we have explained how," he said.
A leader they could say was going to make them deliver, he said to rousing applause in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Zuma said he had been passing by, when he decided to make a stop at the congress.
What was important, he said, was that everyone accepts the decision of the congress.
Members needed to make a contribution to strengthening the organisation and leave it stronger.
Sometimes, members forgot that.
"It gets to a point when a member saw themselves as more important than the party, and they wanted people to do things their way," he said.
That was evident during disputes when people did not focus on policies but small things, "Where a person views themselves as the boss, like they were born a leader".
Zuma said he was especially excited about the fact the result was amicable, as this was his last year as a leader of the ANC, with only two years left as president of the country.
"I am no longer young, though I am not yet ancient."
He said he would remain an ANC member until the day he died.
He was excited about being able to say what he wanted, when he wanted, when he retired, he said.
When he retired, he would not accept any salary, or petrol money from the ANC as a volunteer.
The last time he had been in Nelson Mandela Bay, he said, was to intervene in factions.
"Now, am leaving happy. It has been a wonderful moment for me," he said. News24
New ANC PE leaders outline 'radical' plans
There is a new breed of leaders in the ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay and they are speaking the same language as the Economic Freedom Fighters.
The newly-elected leaders in the region held their first conference on Sunday, just hours after they were announced.
Referring to the Democratic Alliance (DA) as a mortal enemy and their new campaign as radical, they outlined their plans for the hotly contested metro.
Their first order of business is crime and land expropriation without compensation.
The issue of land is going to be dominant, starting on Monday, vowed new regional leader Andile Lungisa.
"We are going make sure that all vacant land is acquired quickly, so that even youngsters have access to land," he said.
"Section 25 of the Constitution must be amended," he said, in direct contradiction to a decision made by the ANC in Parliament in February.
Land expropriation without compensation was a priority, the new leadership said.
Crime was also a primary concern, he said. They were going to pull on tackies, wear tracksuits and walk the streets every day, taking them back from gangsters, criminals and "amagintsa".
"We are going to liberate the whole area and we are going to make crime our first priority," he said.
Other priorities were economic transformation, he said, and unseating the DA in Nelson Mandela Bay.
"We never fought to sing anthems and wave flags. The time for DA is over," he said.
He said they were going to visit City Hall every day in marches against the DA, until the party gave up.
The group said they would reach out to the faction which had run against them for the sake of unity.
Lungisa ran for the position in spite of a directive from the national leadership prohibiting PEC members from running for other roles.
But he respected the offices of the ANC, he told journalists on Sunday, and this would be dealt with internally.
Lungisa is currently facing a charge of assault with intent to do grievous harm.
