Former President Jacob Zuma
It never rains but pours for the ANC, this as they face an uphill challenge of dealing with mass exodus of members and now its alliance in the Free State leaving them high and dry.
This is as the South Africa Civic Organisation (Sanco) provincial General Council (PGC) resolved over the weekend that they would not be endorsing and campaigning for the ANC.
The movement’s provincial chairperson Gift Poli told The Star that the decision was taken at their PGC.
Poli said delegates who attended the council agreed that the movement was a civic organisation therefore members were allowed to campaign and vote for whatever political party they wished to.
“We agreed that Sanco was a civic organisation and that we are not going to dictate who our members are going to vote for their parties of choice. This decision doesn’t mean the end of the alliance; remember we are not a federal organisation but a unilateral organisation.
“In our last meeting at the national executive meeting, we said we must check the political conditions province by province and then support those who support us as well as work with those that support us.
“We then took a decision to work with communities and continue coming up with programmes that are aimed at empowering them.”
Poli further said their decision was also based on the ANC’s failure in recognising them as the alliance and civic movement.
Responding the civic movement’s pronouncement, ANC’s provincial spokesperson Jabu Mbalula said they were not aware of the decision Sanco took of not supporting them in the upcoming general elections.
“As far we know we are still in the alliance with the civic organisation. They have not communicated that resolution with us, so until such time they do, we are still in alliance with them,” Mbalula concluded.
This was an unexpected resolution from the movement as the organisation has always expressed its loyalty and support to the ANC and its policies.
A source who has an intimate knowledge on the matter, told this masthead that some of them were not surprised by the decision as the provincial chairperson (Poli) was an ardent supporter of former premier Ace Magashule.
The source said they thought by now, Poli would have left and followed Magashule as he was his messiah.
“The chairperson follows Magashule around like a small boy, I am not surprised that he pushed the members into this decision, it works for him more than anyone in that PEC.
“He’s younger brother is the co-ordinator of ACT, so there was no way he wouldn’t campaign for Magashule,” added the source.
The news comes amid the revelation that another five Sanco members had joined former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party in KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma recently threw his weight behind the newly formed MK Party, saying he won’t campaign or vote for the ANC during the upcoming general elections.
The Star
sipho.jack@inl.co.za