Not in the name of the Western Cape

30 August 2016

The ANC Western Cape Media and Communications wish to distance itself from the divisive statement below which is not in keeping with the spirit and the content of the meeting of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee Lekgotla and the PEC on Sunday. 

In the norm and the tradition of the ANC, we normally meet, draft statements, refer the statement to all the Provincial Officials to sign off, having invited the media in our Provincial Office boardroom. The Provincial Officials makes contribution and we all agree and together as a team we attend to the collective press conference chaired by myself, or if I am not available I delegate that responsibility to our Media Liaison Officer, who is a staff member, Yonela Diko to do organisation. 

I am currently at the University of the Western Cape attending an academic course. To that effect, I formally wrote to the Provincial Secretary that I am attending a course and will not be available. I suggested that because they are attending a meeting at Luthuli House yesterday, I suggest that a media press conference with the Provincial Officials to highlight the decisions of the ANC Provincial Lekgotla and the PEC be convened this morning. The Provincial Secretary, Cde. Faiez Jacobs fully agreed with me. Contrary to this tradition in our Province, I was surprised to see this statement below sent to the media without our collective sign off and in contrary to what we agreed upon with the Provincial Secretary. 

Our Provincial Lekgotla received a thorough presentation from Comrade Beatie Hofmeyer, our national training veteran who engaged us on the election's results. We went to different commissions and reported on our resolutions. Comrade Beatie further inducted us on the branch induction manual, the train the trainer. We were joined by the ANC National Chairperson, Comrade Baleka Mbete on Saturday, and Sunday. We used her presence as a senior leader and an official to raise the matter of the ANC Provincial Chairperson, Cde. Marius Fransman that we request the National Officials / National Working Committee to expedite this matter and bring it to final closure expeditiously because it is affecting the ANC in one way or the other in the Province. We cautioned against PEC members using it to advance factional behaviour. We cautioned our members to refrain in using social media to further harm our movement. In that effect we resolved that those who are involved must be called to engage and warn them against the dangers of destructively using social media. We agreed that if after a person is warned continue to use social media, a Disciplinary route must be considered. We warned that the process must not be used fractionally but all must be identified across factions. 

We joined the UDF celebrations with the ANC National Chairperson, Comrade Baleka Mbete who was the key note speaker at Trafalgar high school. All the speakers present emphasised on the unity of the ANC in the Western Cape. The meeting was opened to the floor for members to raise their frustration and experiences. We concluded on the high note of renewing and reviving the ANC. 

The ANC National Chairperson captured correctly our sentiments when he was interviewed by the media on the matter pertaining the ANC Provincial Chairperson. 

Our Sunday Provincial Executive Committee was chaired by Comrade Derek Hanekom, the ANC NEC head of deployees in the Western Cape. 

We want to distance ourselves as the ANC Western Cape from the statement written by both the Provincial Secretary, Cde. Faiez Jacobs, and Lionel Ardendof. They have written this statement factionally and bypassed the internal media protocol. This is contrary to the spirit of our discussions of emphasising unity and humbling ourselves. The ANC Provincial Secretary is supposed to be an embodiment of the unity of the ANC. He is supposed to have a high level of discipline, but Faiez Jacobs continue to divide the ANC. We believe that Faiez is unfit to lead the ANC as a coherent force and a tool of our people to liberate themselves. Both Faiez Jacobs, and Lionel Ardendof have brought the good name of the ANC into disrepute. 

They went to push forcefully the ANC Provincial Media Liaison Officer, Yonela Diko to issue a factional statement that he disagreed with. They threatened him that he was a functionary, and a staff, he cannot question but release the statement. 

We will not allow individuals to use their status and position in the ANC to further divide and tarnish our movement, the ANC. 

On behalf of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee, I would like to apologise to the ANC Provincial Chairperson, his wife, family and friends for the humiliation this unauthorised statement has caused. We collectively respect the ANC NEC processes on the matter of the Provincial Chairperson, Cde. Marius Fransman. We wish to emphasise the position of the ANC PEC that the issue of Comrade Marius Fransman must be concluded, it's our appeal to our National leadership. 

We call upon the ANC Provincial Disciplinary Committee to investigate the divisive conduct of Lionel Ardendof and Faiez Jacobs. This Lionel has been alleged of leaking serious confidential information to the media, the so called "unanimous source",  not only in the ANC but as well as to different government departments he was working as head of Media. 

No statement goes to public without me knowing or the Provincial Officials as the collective. 

Issued by Jabu Mfusi, ANC PEC Member, Provincial Head: Media and Communications, 30 August 2016