ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula opens the Western Cape elective conference at the Cape Town Convention Centre. Picture Leon Lestrade. African News Agency/ANA.
POLITICS
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has warned against the use of money to influence the outcomes of the party’s Western Cape elective conference under way at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
“You are confused by individuals with money. At least take the money and put your mind and understand where we are going.”
Mbalula on Saturday delivered the opening address of the 9th elective conference, the first for the province in over eight years. It was delayed by a day due to registration glitches and some delegates not being present.
When the conference finally got under way, Mbalula also directed a warning at NEC members who were at the conference and were not deployed by his office not to cause trouble.
“If they cause confusion they will face the consequences. Allow the conference to proceed on its own until it is concluded. What comes out of the vote must be supported and respected by everybody. We can’t afford the ANC to be delayed any longer in the Western Cape,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANC in the province needed to take the ruling DA to task.
“You need to talk especially in the Western Cape because we are facing a difficult revolution. You are busy fighting for nothing and yet the power is gone. The DA here in the Western Cape is in charge and I don’t see you comrades taking the DA to task. We can feel them with their lies and distortions that they are there.”
Mbalula commended the delegates for keeping their cool despite the glitches.
Mbalula said the governing party should still remain after the contests for the positions for provincial leadership.
“I want you to relax and to sit back under the difficult circumstances.”
He thanked the interim provincial committee (IPC) for holding the fort under difficult circumstances.
“They did not appoint themselves to be in the IPC. They were appointed by the national executive committee of the ANC.”
He warned about “surprise leadership”, saying it was a dangerous package in the long term.
“The terminology of factory fault is not far-fetched.”
Mbalula said the conference should complete its business by tomorrow ahead of a closing address by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Cape Times
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