Wyndham Hartley
7 October 2008
Cape Town — In a move clearly designed to forestall a split in the African National Congress, its Western Cape leadership has held out a hand of "friendship" to party rebels who two weeks ago boycotted the provincial conference and held a parallel meeting.
At a news conference yesterday, newly elected provincial chairman Mcebisi Skwatsha and key members of the new provincial executive insisted that their main aim was to promote unity, and that they were not in the business of "purging" people.
The possibility of disciplinary action against the rebels was played down.
Skwatsha's move comes against persistent reports that the ANC is to split nationally. A group unhappy about the treatment meted out to former president Thabo Mbeki is said to be organising a rival party.
Skwatsha said the new leadership could not reverse the decision of the provincial conference that its Dullah Omar district leadership had to disband. He said, however, that the provincial leadership wanted to hold out the hand of friendship to those who had disagreed with their election.
If the branches of the Dullah Omar region re-elected the regional executive that was disbanded by the conference resolution then the decisions of the branches would be respected.
Skwatsha stressed that councillors in the Dullah Omar and Drakenstein regions would be consulted ahead of a crucial provincial general council on Saturday.
Provincial secretary Sipho Kroma disputed news reports that representatives of 89 branches absented themselves from the provincial conference. He said 216 branches were expected , 157 attended and 59 were absent.
Skwatsha said the nonattendance of the 59 branches was "unfortunate". He insisted that there was a genuine move to grant a hearing to those who were disaffected. No decision had been taken to remove the leader of the rebel group, Mbulelo Ncedana, as a Cape Town councillor. He did not know whether such a decision would be taken in future.
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