Eastern Cape ANC chair Oscar Mabuyane has slammed what he called “fabrications and harmful narratives” ahead of the party’s crucial national general council.
Delivering the opening remarks at the ANC’s provincial general council, Mabuyane warned that leaked claims of a plot to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa were sowing paranoia and threatening to push the organisation deeper into troubled water.
On Sunday, the Sunday World published an article stating that Ramaphosa had confronted two senior ANC leaders about their alleged plot to oust him.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula came out in defence of Ramaphosa on Sunday.
Mabuyane said the PGC’s task was to scrutinise the state of the ANC as well as confront the reality of the party’s weaknesses and prepare for the national general council which convened between December 8 and 11.
“The NGC, comrades, is the highest platform for policy reforms and reviewer of ideological correction and organisational discipline.
“It demands clarity of thought and unity of people.
“We cannot approach it with uncertainty or internal contradictions.
“The leadership of the ANC must not be easily intimidated, because if we get into that trap, we will all be paranoid and will collapse this organisation further down the drain,” he said.
“I’ve seen the article in one of the weekend newspapers carrying faces of our very respected comrades, where they are suggested to be comrades who are masterminding the vote of no confidence against the president, and I want to reject that comrades, that’s a lie.
“It’s an extreme, extreme manipulation of facts. It’s a fabrication but, unfortunately, it is done by some among us to perpetuate a particular harmful narrative, it is meant to defocus the ANC,” Mabuyane said.
He said the situation in the ANC was actually the opposite of what had been reported.
Mabuyane’s comments in defence of Ramaphosa come as no surprise as he is a long-time ally of the president.
It is also said he was one of the senior ANC members who rushed to Ramaphosa’s side when he was contemplating stepping down from the ANC in the run-up to the 55th conference.
Several provincial leaders, including secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi and treasurer Zolile Williams were absent from the provincial general council.
ANC Women’s League provincial chair and health MEC Ntandokazi Capa was also not present, alongside additional provincial executive member and education MEC Fundile Gade.
Several other apologies were read out by deputy secretary Helen Sauls-August at the East London City Hall.
A close ally of Mabuyane said he and the province would defend Ramaphosa should any talk of removing the president come about.
“As of now, the ANC as a collective led by comrade Ramaphosa is doing well organisationally and in governance there’s no urgency of getting new leadership.
“The leadership we have will have to lead us to the local government elections next year and after that, we’ve got the conference in 2027.
“Anyway, the NGC is not a platform meant to change leadership, it’s an assessment of the implementation of the last conference resolutions and to give an account of how far we’ve gone, our challenges and what we need going forward.”
On Monday, NEC member Joe Phaahla, who was accused of plotting to oust Ramaphosa, rubbished the claims.
“I regard the claims that I am plotting to oust President Cyril Ramaphosa as utter rubbish and pure hogwash,” he said in a statement.
“In fact, I lack the adjective to adequately describe the absurdity.
“These fabrications are the work of desperate individuals attempting to drive a wedge between myself, as an NEC member with lifelong activity in the ANC, and my president.
“I reject these malicious, outrageous and fallacious accusations that are devoid of any truth with the contempt they deserve.”
Phaahla concluded by emphasising his unwavering support for Ramaphosa.
“My confidence in his leadership is rooted in the values I know him to have and the renewal agenda he continues to champion in the ANC and in government.”
Touching on the recent polling of the ANC and how it had performed in recent by-elections, Mabuyane said electoral fortunes were drifting away from the ANC.
“Currently, the ANC is hanging in the balance in the rural vote, the rural electorate is the one that is now going all out unconditionally to support the ANC.
“We must reimagine the rural economy beyond subsistence farming.
“We must build integrated agricultural value chains that incorporate storage, processing, distribution and market access.
“The Eastern Cape will not defeat unemployment unless rural communities become active economic agents.”
The Herald
