Durban – THE fate of the hundreds of ANC councillors who got elected through fraudulent means will be decided by the national executive committee (NEC) of the governing party when it meets on March 27 this year.
This is according to a letter sent out by Kgalema Motlanthe on Tuesday to all nine provincial list committees (PLCs), where he pleads with them to submit all cases to him by Tuesday, 15 March 2022, so that he could finalise the cases and refer them to the NEC for a final decision.
Motlanthe, a former party deputy president, was appointed by the NEC to look at cases of councillors who allegedly made it through manipulating party structures to be elected as councillors on November 1 last year.
“This letter serves to remind all the PLCs that the deadline for the submission of final reports on the processing of the disputes and appeals regarding the candidate selection process for local government election is by close of business on Tuesday, 15 March 2022.
“All the PLCs are urged to adhere to this deadline without compromises since the Electoral Committee is in the process of compiling its final report to the NEC on 25 – 27 March 2022. The final reports by the PLCs should cover the following issues: Statistical reports on disputes and appeals processed after the local government elections using the standard template, which has been provided to all the PLCs.”
“Narrative report outlining the nature of disputes processed, the challenges encountered by the PLC and recommendations on improving the work of the PLC as well as the candidate selection processes. Disputes that may trigger by-elections should be clearly specified in terms of the wards, complainants and political issues that should be considered by the Electoral Committee and approved by the NEC.
“A list of cases of misconduct related to the manipulation of the candidate selection process should be included in the final reports by the PLCS. Names and details of members who are alleged to have committed misconduct during the candidate selections process should be provided in these lists, and this should be accompanied by any available evidence or detailed explanation of all circumstances and facts surrounding the misconduct,” he wrote.
Furthermore, in his letter, Motlanthe pleaded with party structures not to recall or fire these councillors until the NEC had decided on their fate. The plea comes as there are reports that in Mpumalanga and North West provinces, these councillors have already been told to vacate their positions to pave the way for by-elections.
“Kindly note that PLCs are not authorised to recall ward/PR councillors or issue instructions for by-elections as this is the responsibility of the NEC and constitutional structures of the ANC. The Electoral Committee will make final recommendations to the NEC based on the PLC reports so that political interventions such as conflict resolution and disciplinary processes could be invoked where relevant. The Electoral Committee shall issue final directives to the complainants, PLCs and appellants based on the NEC’s approval of our recommendations,” Motlanthe stressed in the letter.
Political Bureau
