President Jacob Zuma’s backers are calling for the head of ANC Gauteng chairman, Paul Mashatile and his executive committee, according to to a report in the Sunday Times.<\/p>\n
It comes after the party’s poor performance the polls, with Zuma’s faction allegedly blaming Mashatile for the ANC’s loss of its absolute majorities in three metros in the province.<\/p>\n
Mashatile and his executive previously called on the president to resign after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had violated his oath of office on Nkandla.<\/p>\n
The Sunday Times said it has learnt that at last weekend’s ANC national executive committee meeting, former Gauteng MEC Humphrey Mmemezi, called for the “ill-disciplined” Gauteng leadership structure to be disbanded.<\/p>\n
Former Gauteng premier, Nomvula Mokonyane, reportedly backed Mmemezi’s call, as did the ANC Youth League.<\/p>\n
“If the solution is that you disband the structure … let that be done, because what we’ve witnessed in Gauteng is that its leadership started the campaign by complaining,” youth league spokesman Mlondi Mkhize said.<\/p>\n
“Subsequently they’ve been pointing out too many internal matters at a time when everyone focused on elections.”<\/p>\n
Mkhize also said the youth league was also concerned about Mashatile’s relationship with EFF leader Julius Malema.<\/p>\n
“We think that it’s not a coincidence that such statements were made by the EFF,” Mkhize said. “Effectively it says that the NEC is rendered useless and the provincial executive committee of Gauteng is much more important. That can’t be correct.”<\/p>\n
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said calls for Mashatile and his team to be axed were motivated by “factionalism”.<\/p>\n
“It is premature for comrades to try and get provinces to be scapegoats. There is no province that did well,” he said.<\/p>\n
The full report is in the Sunday Times of 21 August 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n ANC Gauteng says party is in crisis and calls on Zuma to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n ANC Gauteng premier plotting to get Zuma out: DA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on politics<\/h3>\n