Johannesburg - ANC deputy president David Mabuza on Tuesday assured party members and supporters that their complaints about the councillor candidates selection process would be resolved after Monday’s local government elections.
Mabuza told residents of wards 73 and 110 in Ekurhuleni that the ANC understood that its candidate selection in the area did not go well.
”Since we are close to elections, we must go and vote. There are many places where the candidate selection did not go well. The ANC NEC (national executive committee) has taken a decision to deal with the disputes after the elections,” he said.
Mabuza urged voters to ensure that the ANC wins ward 110 in Chief Albert Luthuli in Daveyton, Benoni first and former ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe would listen to their disputes after the November 1 municipal polls.
”Disputes will be attended to after the elections. We are focused on the elections, let us not divide our attention. Disputes that are lodged will be dealt with but we would like ANC people to vote for the party,” he said.
Mabuza promised that the ANC would improve its relationship with the people and its communication with the people.
”The ANC is an organisation that must listen to the people. All the mayors we will elect are going to be interviewed to see whether they are fit to occupy such offices,” he said.
According to Mabuza, the ANC has signed agreements with all its candidates to ensure that they will serve communities diligently.
”This time around the ANC must change how it works and its actions. We don’t want corruption inside the ANC. The corrupt are not wanted inside the ANC, stealing inside the ANC is not needed,” he said.
Mabuza also urged what he described as foreign tendencies inside the ANC to be eliminated.
”The ANC must continue to fight for better lives for all South Africans. Even those who are leaders in the ANC must lead diligently, they must be trustworthy. Unity must return to the ANC, disunity must end,” he said.
Mabuza continued: “We want unity within the ranks of the ANC, factionalism and divisions must end. We must all serve the people.
ANC member Simphiwe Mgolombane asked Mabuza to review the candidates and find out if they had been arrested in the past two weeks.
He complained that he has been threatened after returning from Luthuli House to report their problems.
Mgolombane said ward 110 consisted of five voting districts but three of them were not informed about Mabuza campaigning in the area.
”We are going from pillar to post with old people due to the housing problems,” he said, adding that houses were being occupied by foreign nationals.
Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina denied that the ANC government was giving houses to foreign nationals.
”There is not a single person who is a foreigner who has been given a house by the government. Residents rent out the houses to foreign nationals. It is illegal, it is wrong,” he warned residents.
Masina also cautioned residents that if the ANC is voted out of power the privileges such as building houses in communities will disappear.
Political Bureau