ANC PEC embarks on ‘pilgrimage’ of healing, renewal

THE ANC in the Eastern Cape will embark on a “political pilgrimage” aimed at healing rifts before the party launches its election campaign in June.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said this was part of the same national programme that saw President Cyril Ramaphosa leading officials on visits to the grave sites of ANC founders such as Dr Walter Rubusana in East London, as well as to living figures like King Goodwill Zwelithini in KwaZulu-Natal and AmaXhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu in Nqadu earlier this year.

The top six were expected to return to Qunu last month to complete an aborted visit to Nelson Mandela’s grave but did not.

The programme included a courtesy visit to stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in January.

Ngcukayitobi said the decision to embark on a similar pilgrimage was taken at Monday’s provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting.

“It is not only in the Eastern Cape that the ANC is undergoing a healing process.

“That healing forms a critical component of the renewal of the ANC.”

The watershed 54th national elective conference was held in Nasrec last December.

It was so highly contested that for the first time in the party’s post-apartheid history, the leadership that emerged under Ramaphosa was of no particular faction.

This was after Ramaphosa’s supporters made an 11th-hour deal with his current deputy David Mabuza in the name of unity.

However, the buildup to the conference left the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal structures deeply divided.

Ngcukayitobi said: “You have seen that the national officials embarked on a pilgrimage programme visiting people.

“We agreed at the NEC that this should cascade to a provincial level where we will meet with all stakeholders and alliance components.

“[We also agreed] that we will take the membership of the ANC along in terms of that programme of renewal.”

He said the pilgrimage also aimed to ensure that the PEC was able to work with all the regional structures that had worked against the provincial programme amid the factional division surrounding the October provincial election.

Senior Amathole, Joe Gqabi and Nelson Mandela regional leaders had backed former provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle in his failed bid to serve a third term as chairman.