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Mpumalanga ANC members have threatened to take their demand for the disbandment of their provincial executive committee (PEC) to Luthuli House on Monday.
The members, who are largely backers of chairperson hopeful Peter Nyoni, have threatened to take to their party’s headquarters in a show of force as the party’s national working committee deliberates on disbanding the North West PEC, which is chaired by ousted premier Supra Mahumapelo.
Nyoni will face off with acting provincial chairperson Mandla Ndlovu for the top job in the province, following the vacancy left by David Mabuza, the deputy president of the ANC and country.
Others who have also thrown their hats in the ring for the chairperson position include Fish Mahlalela, David Dube and Charles Makola.
The deputy president is said to back Ndlovu after he appeared to endorse him earlier this year during his final state of the province address as premier.
“I think I taught him what is right and wrong. He is a humble man [who] can [fit] in my shoes and even take my shoes,” Mabuza said of Ndlovu at the time.
“Treat Mpumalanga people well and know that I have a bond with them. I, however, trust him. When everybody is angry he remains calm. What I like about him is he has a gift to help other people.”
Those involved in the planning of the march to Luthuli House say Mabuza made a “grave miscalculation” as he is no longer in charge in the province and members no longer felt indebted to him nor feared him.
“DD has presidential ambitions but he has left a divided province.
“We will be in 2022 what KZN was last year; he has failed to consolidate the province, instead he has divided it.
“This means he will struggle to get Mpumalanga behind him when he wants to become president,” one of the organisers said, referring to KwaZulu-Natal’s failure to secure a top-six post despite having one of the largest delegations to the ANCs elective conference.
The marchers say they want their demonstration to be a show of force and a message to Mabuza that he no longer has a say in the province.
They want to embarrass Mabuza in the national executive committee (NEC) after he assured the structure that all was well in Mpumalanga.
The Nyoni backers say Mabuza erred in his attempt to anoint Ndlovu, saying he should have called for a peaceful democratic process to unfold in the province after his departure.
The members want their call for the disbandment of the Mpumalanga PEC put on the agenda at this weekend’s special sitting of the NEC.
The sitting will hear recommendations on what direction to take in the North West.
The ideal outcome for the group is for the NEC to disband the PEC and replace it with a provincial task team which would oversee the province until a new leadership is elected.
