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Young lions give muscle to Lungisa, call for him to retain chairperson position

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‘ANC officials have no executive powers’ – Bongani Mabusela. Picture: Nosipiwo Manona
‘ANC officials have no executive powers’ – Bongani Mabusela. Picture: Nosipiwo Manona

The deadline for the ANC’s Eastern Cape chairperson Andile Lungisa to resign has come and gone – and now a new twist in the leadership saga has arrived in the form of the newly appointed Nelson Mandela ANC Youth League regional task team, who boldly pronounced their stand in defence of Lungisa on Thursday.

Read: Factional lines are drawn as D-Day arrives for defiant Andile Lungisa

Luyolo Nqakula and Bongani Mabusela, who are respectively the coordinator and convener of the task team, said they had confidence that the collective led by Lungisa – who missed the deadline given to him by the provincial secretary of the ANC in the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane – was worthy to the task of fulfilling the responsibility with which it had been entrusted.

“They have inherited an organisation which is plagued by a plethora of challenges such as organisational decay, which has rendered the ANC morally inaudible to the masses of our people,” said Nqakula.

“We are the legitimate voice of the youth in this region,” he stated.

Citing that there was no rule against Lungisa’s action, they said he should stay on.

“There is no rule in the ANC constitution that prohibits legitimate members of the ANC to stand for any position when nominated in the conference by delegates.”

Nqakula said they were duty bound to defend matters of principle and individuals.

Echoing Lungisa’s words, they said that Rule 17.4 should not be read in isolation from Rule 5.1.4.

“What we are confronted with here, is a constitutional grey area; any precedence set must be consistent with the organisational constitution,” said Nqakula.

Mabusela said Lungisa could not give in to pressure from officials of the ANC and resign.

“It is our view that Lungisa must not undermine the will of the majority of branches by resigning. His resignation must be informed by a directive of no structure other than that of the national executive committee.”

Luyolo Nqakula and Bongani Mabusela.

Mabusela said they held contrary views on the path to be followed.

“It is a fact that the constitution of the ANC prohibits its leader from holding leadership positions in two or more of its structures as this will creates a conflict of interest from those who are supposed to supervise others,” he said.

“Contrary to the provincial and national leadership’s call, we say Lungisa must resign from his provincial position and serve as chairperson at the lower structure in the region,”

He said that the decision of the ANC national officials around the Lungisa matter remained unconstitutional and devoid of political conscience.

“We are convinced that both the ANC national officials and the Eastern Cape ANC provincial executive committee misunderstood both the meaning of the rule, as well as its intention. Due to the uniqueness of the situation at hand, it is our view that Lungisa must relinquish his position from the provincial committee, in the process of regaining the Metro from the kleptocratic minority government.”

He said there was a precedent – both Nomvula Mokonyane and Bheki Cele were told not to contest for regional positions.

“In this case, we are able to identify the inconsistency in the constitution of the ANC.”

“It would be very unfortunate if comrade Lungisa was taken through a disciplinary process,” said Nqakula.

Mabusela added that they expect the leadership to apply a revolutionary posture in the absence of a clear guideline.

“This should be informed by the will of the branches ... It can’t be fair for comrade Lungisa to resign on the call of the ANC officials; they don’t have executive powers to do so,” said Mabusela.

They challenged the ANC to fix the wrongs that have been committed, citing the loss of the Bay in the past elections.

“We are also calling on the ANC to embark on a ‘We are sorry’ campaign and apologise to the masses of our people for all that the wrongs which have been done in its name!”

City Press has reliably learnt that Lungisa is currently in Johannesburg to lobby more support for his cause.

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