Less than three months after the Eastern Cape ANC leadership told Buffalo City Metro party bosses to “shape up or ship out”, leaders in the embattled Dr WB Rubusana region are at loggerheads again.
BCM executive mayor Princess Faku, who is also the party’s regional chair, has written to provincial ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, asking party bosses to intervene.
Faku made the appeal to Calata House after the appointment of two mayoral committee members had to be put on hold due to disagreements over the preferred candidates.
The regional deployment committee had reportedly put forward the names of Mninawa Nyusile to head up the public safety portfolio and Bongiwe Saule as corporate services head.
However, provincial ANC bosses endorsed Mike Basopu and Amanda Mnyute instead.
The Daily Dispatch has seen a copy of a letter dated September 4 in which the new appointments were confirmed and communicated to the regional leadership.
This decision has caused tension in the region, with Faku calling for provincial party leaders to intervene.
The mayor said she was “surprised to learn” that Basopu and Mnyute’s names had been submitted to Calata House, despite them not being endorsed by the regional executive.
In her letter to Ngcukayitobi, dated September 14, Faku wrote: “The Dr WB Rubusana deployment committee convened to address the vacancies created by the passing of councillor Kayise Tom and the redeployment of councillor Helen Neal-May to parliament.
“After intensive deliberations, the region recommended councillors Nyusile and Saule to fill the vacant positions.
“Furthermore, the deployment committee mandated the regional secretary [Antonio Carels] to submit the proposed names to the provincial deployment committee for consideration and endorsement.
“However, I was surprised to learn that the regional secretary unilaterally submitted additional names, that of councillors Mnyute and Basopu.
“We firmly believe that this conduct undermines the recent call made by PEC [provincial executive committee] officials during their visit for all members to commit to the spirit of organisational renewal.
“The regional secretary’s distortion of the regional deployment committee’s recommendations impacts organisational unity and fundamentally undermines our processes.”
Faku said this was not the first time Carels had “acted unilaterally on deployment matters”, saying “on a previous occasion he facilitated the affirmation of an oath by a councillor without consulting the regional leadership collective”.
The mayor said she had received “complaints” from other party structures in the region, arguing that Carels’ conduct threatened to “undermine organisational unity and renewal”.
The two regional leaders had previously clashed over several issues, including the recent swearing in of an ANC PR councillor, allegedly without consultation.
The running battles Faku and Carels were the subject of a heated meeting with provincial bosses in June, where they were read the riot act.
The region was threatened with dissolution, and given until the end of July to resolve its differences.
The provincial leadership intervened after the Faku-aligned group reportedly attempted to suspend Carels, who they had accused of unilaterally taking critical decisions for the region.
However, the ongoing feud between the once-close allies seems far from over, as the regional structure prepares for its elective conference early next year.
When contacted for comment, Faku denied knowledge of the letter.
“I have nothing to do with deployment. I don’t know anything about the letter you are referring to.
“Go and get answers from the person who gave you that letter as I know nothing about it,” Faku said, before accusing the reporter of “taking sides in BCM politics”.
Carels declined to comment and referred questions to Ngcukayitobi.
Speaking to the Dispatch this week, Ngcukayitobi confirmed receiving correspondence from Faku.
He said the contents of the letter still had to be “entertained and processed” but that the decision to deploy Basopu and Mnyute stood.
“I did receive the letter but the provincial deployment committee has taken a decision.
“It’s unfortunate that the mayor, instead of appointing the people that had been decided upon, does this.
“The letter will be processed but it does not, by any means, mean that there is no decision taken by the deployment committee.
“The decision has been taken,” Ngcukayitobi said.
Basopu and Mnyute, who have already been sworn in as councillors, both said they had not yet officially assumed their new roles and declined to comment on “internal party processes”.
Nyusile and Saule could not be reached for comment.
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.