ANC STATEMENT ON THE NORTH WEST AND LIMPOPO

5 December 2012

The African National Congress is outraged by the claim that the Minister of Safety and Security Comrade Nathi Mthethwa and the South African Police Services took over the running of the North West Provincial Nomination Conference (PNC) over the weekend.  This accusation smacks of the worst manipulation of information and misleading the public. We wish to state for the record that, the Provincial Nomination Conference was convened and run by the provincial leadership of the North West. This took place after an attempt to convene parallel nomination conferences failed. 

All Provincial Nomination Conference delegates that represented  eligible branches were captured and verified through existing mechanisms embodied in the nomination guidelines. To the best of the information submitted to the national office of the ANC by all concerned and legitimate parties the delegations to the PNC was officiated and approved by the provincial leadership.

This process was further endorsed by the Electoral Commission and it's agency. Before the commencement of the Provincial Nomination Conference the Provincial Secretary Comrade Kabelo Mataboge signed off the credentials as authentic.

This accusation serves as the evidence that there are those who are hellbent on trying to vilify the organisation and it's democratic processes by inventing untruths and suspicions. This accusation tries to undermine the organizational effort that made it possible that a hustle free conference took place after the intervention of NEC deployees to the North West including Comrade Nathi Mthethwa in his capacity as an NEC member.  We want to put it on record that the NEC deployees were at all times led by the convener of NEC deployees in the north West Comrade Thaba Mufamadi. We can confirm that all NEC deployees present during the Provincial Nomination Conference were Comrade Thaba Mufamadi, Nathi Mthethwa and Lumka Yengeni. We reject with contempt any allegation in the media that Comrade Nathi Mthethwa and the South African Police Services interfered with running of the Provincial Nomination Conference in the North West. We find it totally unethical that a story with such serious allegations was printed without the organisation being contacted for comment.

We have also noted comments made by the Provincial Secretary of Limpopo Comrade Soviet Lekganyane that 'NEC members deployed to assist the effort to reconvening the Provincial Nomination Conference in Limpopo would not be welcome because they have vested interests'. Such an irresponsible and unANC statement does not only undermine the decision of the NEC, it also fails to acknowledge that the NEC carries full responsibility for the success of the pending 53rd National Conference.

The Secretary General of the ANC, Comrade Gwede Mantashe has the mandate and powers to deploy NEC members anywhere in the country and in any of the nine provinces that include Limpopo. The NEC decision on any matter including deployment to Limpopo of NEC members is binding on any ANC structures. It is not up to the Provincial Secretary Comrade Soviet Lekganyane to decide whether to accept the decision of NEC or not, the NEC will not be prevented from fulfilling it's Constitutional mandate.

The ANC reserves the right to investigate and to institute charges against any member of the ANC that instigates against a standing decision of the organisation.

Statement issued by Jackson Mthembu, ANC national spokesperson, December 5 2012

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