The Amathole region’s ANC top five leaders came out unscathed during their elective congress, all retaining their previous positions, after voting took place in the early hours of Saturday.
The party is holding its fifth elective regional conference at the international convention centre in KuGompo City, which commenced on Friday and is set to conclude on Sunday.
While three of the top five positions were uncontested, the more than 200 voting delegates had to cast their votes for the positions of regional treasurer and secretary, with the current incumbents, Onke Mgunculu and Nombuyekezo Ncethezo-Nkwenkwezi respectively, comfortably retaining their seats, ensuring another term for them in office.
While the positions of chairperson, deputy chair and deputy secretary were uncontested, Ncethezo-Nkwenkwezi defeated Aviwe Silo for the secretariat’s office seat, by 154 votes, with Silo only recording 63 votes.
For the regional treasurer seat, Amathole district council speaker Mgunculu edged his once close ally, Lihle Gxothiwe, obtaining 150 votes to Gxothiwe’s 63.
The region had 217 voting delegates.
However, in the vote for the regional treasurer position, two of the ballots were spoilt, while two delegates did not make it to the polls.
Party MP Sheila Xego emerged uncontested to retain her chairperson seat, securing another term for her, a few months before the local government elections later this year.
The region’s deputy chair, Amathole district municipality mayor Anele Ntsangani, was set to be contested by Ngqushwa mayor Sanga Maneli, who opted not to accept nomination, and instead settled for his previous seat as deputy regional secretary.
For the deputy secretary seat, the incumbent Maneli was set to lock horns with ANC Youth League deputy president Zusiphe Franscisco Dyantyi, who too declined his nomination for the position, leading to Maneli retaining his regional seat uncontested.
Some delegates said these outcomes were a clear sign of a prevailing unity in the once troubled ANC region, which is the second biggest in the province after OR Tambo region.
Opening the conference late on Friday, provincial ANC chairperson Oscar Mabuyane emphasised the importance of and commended the region for its show of unity and discipline in hosting a drama-free congress.
He said the conference marks a departure from the usual organisational sitting, as it carries a higher responsibility.
“It is a moment of organisational introspection, a moment to measure the pulse of the ANC in this region, and a moment to elect a leadership collective that must rise to the demands of the present epoch.”
Mabuyane said “all eyes of the province” are firmly fixed on the outcomes of this conference, which is the last before the provincial ANC hosts its elective conference next weekend.
“The conduct, the outcomes and the political posture that emerge from this gathering will have far-reaching implications for the balance of forces within the province,” Mabuyane said.
“It is therefore imperative that the organisational logistics, the verification of credentials, and the integrity of processes are handled with the highest level of precision.
“There must be no ambiguity, no administrative shortcomings and no procedural contestation.
“The credibility of this conference is not a technical matter. It is a political matter that speaks directly to the unity and stability of the organisation.”
He urged conference delegates to “transcend the narrow confines of leadership contestation”, saying, “If the regional conference degenerates into a theatre of slates and counter slates, it will have failed in its historic mission.
“We expect this region to emerge from this conference united, disciplined, and ready to attend the forthcoming elective provincial conference speaking with one voice.
“In whatever choices we make at this regional conference, we must manage with great care the dialectical relationship between continuity and discontinuity.
“Each choice carries within it both advantages and limitations. Continuity ensures stability, institutional memory and policy consistency, while discontinuity, on the other hand, creates space for renewal, innovation, and corrective intervention.
“The task before us is not to choose one over the other, but to manage the tension between them in a manner that advances the interests of the organisation and the people it serves.”
Voting for the rest of the regional executive committee members, is expected to take place later on Saturday, while ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is expected to close the conference on Sunday.
Daily Dispatch
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