ANC leaders fail to resolve Western Cape infighting

There is still no resolution to the infighting that threatens to cripple the ANC in the Western Cape, despite marathon talks on Monday between the party’s national leadership and the provincial executive.

The party’s national working committee including top-six leaders such as President Jacob Zuma and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, were in the Western Cape at the weekend in an attempt to broker peace between the warring factions.

However, no resolution could be reached and the national leadership would now set aside two days next week to continue with talks, said ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa.

“The meeting was postponed … we want to hear all sides … and we want to make sure that when we come out of this, we have a stronger and united ANC in the Western Cape that will be ready for 2019,” said Kodwa.

The ANC in the province has been rocked by divisions and infighting in recent years, which has had a cost at the polls, with the DA increasing its majority in the province.

The infighting is seen as a proxy battle in the race for the ANC presidency between the main contenders, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Zuma’s former wife.

The five-year suspension of ANC provincial leader and Zuma backer Marius Fransman earlier in 2017 further divided the party. The ANC found Fransman guilty of abusing his position to gain “sexual favours” from his former personal assistant Louisa Wynand.

At the heart of the latest feud is the decision by the provincial executive committee to disband its biggest region, Dullah Omar, which includes the Cape Town metro. A team has since been tasked with leading the party in Cape Town until a regional executive congress is held later in 2017. The Dullah Omar region is said to be backing Dlamini Zuma for the presidency.