Delegates at the founding conference of the South African Democratic Congress (SADec) in Johannesburg.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA Nov 03 2008 16:36
Six prominent Eastern Cape African National Congress (ANC) leaders, including ousted premier Nosimo Balindlela and former deputy defence minister Mluleki George, have quit the ANC.
Balindlela, George, former ANC provincial spokesperson Andile Nkuhlu, Amathole regional leader Moses Qomoyi, executive member of the provincial ANC Youth League Nkosifikile Gqomo, and a member of the Youth League executive committee disbanded in December 2006, Thabo Matiwane, announced their resignations on Monday.
In a letter to ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, Balindlela said that since the ANC's Polokwane conference in December last year, the Eastern Cape, as a province, had accepted the results of the conference and readied themselves to work for unity and cohesion under the new ANC leadership.
This was despite the fact that the province had voted for the third term of former president Thabo Mbeki.
"However, to our amazement, the newly elected NEC [national executive committee], and in particular yourself, comrade SG, came down blazing upon the PEC [provincial executive committee] with unilateral decisions that were controversial and divisive in nature -- completely void of ANC policies," she said.
"In a spate of rushed meetings between the PEC and the NWC [national working committee], you alleged that there were 'three wild dogs' that were destabilising the Eastern Cape.
"You personally mentioned me as one of those alleged 'wild dogs'. Your public humiliation of me while I was in China on government business and during the press statement I gave left much to be desired."
Balindlela said that at the time of these allegations, she was directly engaged in government work addressing the poverty in the province.
"For every hasty ... decision taken by you and the NEC and imposed on the province, we were left to take the blame.
"This resulted in my removal as the premier of the Eastern Cape following calls from the alliance partners in the province," she said.
These very decisions were made by NEC members deployed in the province -- some of whom were implicated in the corrupt practices highlighted by the Pillay Commission of Inquiry.
"I regret to say that, to date, the ANC and the NEC have remained 'mum' and actionless."
The Pillay Commission Report remained "locked" within the provincial legislature, where certain ANC members tried to "sidetrack" the issues by alleging that the money spent on the commission did not warrant the findings or the value received.
"After due consideration, I have decided to resign as a member of the ANC with immediate effect.
"It is my intention to join the convention movement led by Comrades [Mosiuoa] Lekota, [Mbhazima] Shilowa, and [Mluleki] George.
"The ANC has its enemies within -- these 'internal enemies' are the very comrades who disregard the rule of law, who fail to uphold constitutional rights and the principles in the Freedom Charter and enjoy paying lip service to woman's issues -- this is leading to a rapid reversal of political gains in the country.
"I feel that I can no longer be a spectator to the loss of social and moral values embedded in the Constitution of South Africa."
Balindlela said a number of unanswered truths left her with no other alternative than to completely break with the ANC and tender her resignation. -- Sapa
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-03-top-eastern-cape-anc-members-resign
Sorry Sadec, that's already our name
MICHAEL HAMLYN
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Nov 03 2008 16:42
Launching a new political party was never going to be easy, but need it be as difficult as this?
No sooner did the political movement founded by prominent breakaways from the African National Congress announce that its new name would be the South African Democratic Congress, or Sadec, than another new party jumped up to say that that was their name already, and it was taken.
Samuel Kennedy, general secretary of the other South African Democratic Congress, abbreviated as Sadeco, said he had left a message for Sadec leader Mosuioa Lekota to call him to discuss the matter.
"I thought it prudent that I talk to Terror Lekota first rather than go public in the first instance," he said.
Sadeco is a breakaway from Nadeco -- the National Democratic Convention -- which itself is a breakaway from the Inkatha Freedom Party.
If not resolved, the Independent Electoral Commission will have to make a ruling in line with electoral law that states that names and logos should not be confusingly similar.
"We are not going to be fighting over names, but we had hoped to use it to contest the December 10 by-elections," said Mbulelo Ncedana, who speaks for Sadec.
He explained that whatever name they finally settled on for the by-elections would be an interim name until it was ratified at the party's launch. -- I-Net Bridge
Source: Mail & Guardian Online
Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-03-sorry-sadec-thats-already-our-name
Another ANC member resigns
Citing "moral decay" within the ruling party and threats to his safety and that of his family, SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco) president Mlungisi Hlongwane has resigned from the African National Congress.
"I have resigned from my position as Executive Mayor of Sedibeng [District Municipality, in Gauteng] and as a member of the ANC," he announced in a statement on Monday.
Hlongwane, who submitted his resignations on Sunday, said violence had become institutionalised in the ANC.
"I have never ever experienced a leadership of the ANC so insecure and paranoid of their gravitas and legitimacy. While before people whispered in corners and corridors, today violence and intimidation is institutionalised inside the ANC.
"The ANC is fundamentally led... on the basis of factionalism. Today you are guaranteed never to face disciplinary action, irrespective the amount of misconduct within the ANC, if you belong to the Polokwane victors. In fact, you are likely to be promoted.
"I have observed this moral decay taking its root at a national level and in our region. I have tried to engage my comrades on the disastrous effect of the ANCYL president's behaviour and the conduct of some ANC NEC members on the elections.
"In each case when these matters are raised you are classified to be anti-Polokwane," he said.
Hlongwane said the police had told him he and his family were at risk.
"The SA Police Service in Vereeniging and intelligence officers gathered information that my personal security, together with that of my wife and family, and other municipal officials associated with me, were at risk.
"They have uncovered plans that included abduction and assassination using the services of members of the former Vaal self-defence units.
"The unfortunate situation is that all these threats are from the ANC members," Hlongwane said.
Name muddle of SA breakaway party
The registration of a breakaway party in South Africa has been delayed after the movement found that its proposed name was already taken.
The group, which is splitting from the ruling African National Congress, had been planning to register as the South African Democratic Congress on Monday.
The ruling party had already challenged the splinter group's first choice name, the South African National Congress.
The new party is led by the former defence minister, Mosiuoa Lekota.
The party has shaken the country's political landscape, but it remains unclear what it will call itself in elections next year, the BBC's Mpho Lakaje reports from Johannesburg.
When it went to register, it found there was a South African Democratic Congress already in existence.
T-shirts
Mr Lekota's group is now negotiating with that party, which has no seats in parliament and has indicated it may be willing to give up its name, our correspondent says.
The new party's steering committee is also expected to come up with a list of alternative names.
The splinter party is made up of people who left the governing ANC after Thabo Mbeki stepped down as president in September, following a power struggle with ANC leader Jacob Zuma.
More than 6,000 delegates attended a conference in Johannesburg to discuss establishing the new party this weekend, some of them wearing T-shirts reading South African National Congress.
But the governing ANC took the matter to court, complaining that the name was too similar to its own.
The ruling party says it is willing to drop the case if the new party adopts a different name.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7707117.stm
Published: 2008/11/03 19:51:58 GMT
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