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President Cyril Ramaphosa has given the ANC interim leadership in North West the thumbs-up for the work done so far, but more decisive action could be taken in dealing with the continuing acts of ill-discipline among party leaders and members in the province.
Ramaphosa led the ANC national executive committee members during a meeting held last weekend in North West, which came on the back of provincial-wide briefings between the ANC top brass and ordinary members across the province’s four regions, some of which were marred by minor incidents of disruption.
“His take is more that because of where the province comes from, we should try and deal with unity of the movement but at the same time deal decisively with ill-discipline and focus on service delivery,” North West interim provincial committee coordinator Hlomani Chauke told City Press in an interview.
Chauke said there were three pillars to the message Ramaphosa delivered to them.
“He said the ANC had a responsibility to deliver services, to unite, and to deal with consequence management on things that are wrong and not turn a blind eye.
“His message is clear – that we need to take more action on such matters,” Chauke said, adding that the minor incident of disruption during the national executive committee’s meeting with ANC branch members on Saturday at the provincial capital in Mafikeng was “a special case”.
The young man who threw tables and chairs around before the meeting properly ended was a recently released ex-convict who had “no social support or even an ID book”, said Chauke.
He said information reaching his office was that the man had gone to his councillor and the department of home affairs to ask for help with obtaining an ID but failed.
“Now he wanted to get our attention. This one shows that it is something out of the normal violence and disruptions that we are used to”.
Chauke said he would “personally step in to assist this fellow.
“We are trying to stabilise and when there is anything that displays violence we will have to understand what it is and intervene where necessary. Part of our responsibility in the unity and renewal project is to reconcile and rehabilitate our people.”
He said this new approach would “position the ANC as a caring organisation.
“If the man says I am frustrated, I cannot get an ID book, then the ANC has a responsibility to listen and assist this person,” he said, adding that if disruptions were allowed to continue it would send a message that there is a leadership vacuum.
Further disruptions, said Chauke, had been noted in the Klerksdorp area, where councillors were being terrorised by gangsters called “Boko Haram”, who forcefully demand business from the City of Matlosana, a local municipality.
“What we are now seeing is a trend of gangsterism that has developed around municipalities. It is a trend whereby any project done must have 30% localisation. But it is the manner in which it is done because it ends up being gangsterism where businesspeople are forced to give the gangsters work.”
Chauke said the looming threat meant that councils, municipalities and government must put up proper systems as to how they allocate the 30% because “for now there is no monitoring and communities know that they are entitled to that 30%“.
“If you do not put up a system that talks to how you will deal with the issue you are going to have a problem because it is not guided and everyone will come and take advantage of that.”
He said similar incidents had been witnessed in the Brits area in Madibeng, but the problem was so intensified in Matlosana to the extent that the police had to be called and criminal charges pressed against those involved.
“This Boko Haram is a local group that is not a formalised business organisation. If it was in a formal arrangement it would be understandable. These are just groups that come and harass councillors and disrupt council. Criminal cases have been opened with the police against those involved.”
In Ditsobotla Local Municipality, Lichtenburg, there was some dissatisfaction in the ANC caucus on how the process to place the municipality under administration by the provincial government had been handled.
“I have summoned the caucus to come meet with me, the premier [Job Mokgoro] and the MEC [Gordon Kegakilwe] to have a discussion. That caucus has an issue with [the way in which the municipality was placed under administration].”
On the sidelines of this planned meeting, Chauke was due to meet a businessman from Ditsobotla who had been mentioned among those sponsoring divisions between ANC councillors in the area.
Since its appointment, the interim provincial committee had hosted a meeting between the ANC national working committee and party councillors in the province; coordinated the national executive committee’s consultations with branch members; and hosted a meeting of the national executive committee.
Over the weekend, the committee was scheduled to host a lekgotla to be addressed by former president Kgalema Motlanthe and Minister in the Presidency Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who will present an update on the state of the provincial government since national government placed 10 departments under administration last year on the back of violent public protests that were allegedly prompted by the collapse of former premier Supra Mahumapelo’s administration.
