Western Cape Politics

[Mo Rush]

The ship SANC

[Die Kapenaar]

Cape plans 'resignation rallies'

October 24 2008 at 08:43PM

Three "mass resignation" rallies from the ANC are to be staged in the Western Cape this weekend, local party members said on Friday.

They said branches in the Boland, Southern Cape and West Coast regions of the province plan to meet in Citrusdal, Paarl and Plettenberg Bay to hand in their membership cards in advance of next weekend's national convention in Bloemfontein, called by former defence minister Terror Lekota.

A spokesperson for Moegamat Matjiet, former Boland regional secretary of the ANC, said Matjiet and other leading local ANC figures would head the rally at a local sports ground in Paarl at noon on Saturday.

Former deputy defence minister, Mululeki George is billed as a guest speaker at a similar rally in the Southern Cape region of Plettenberg Bay, scheduled to start at noon on Sunday.

Local ANC leader, Zamile Xiphula, who describes himself as an "expired" local councillor, having already resigned from the ANC, maintains the "every ward" in the area will be represented at the rally.

Similar confidence is expressed by former Western Cape provincial ANC executive member Ornel de Beer, who is in charge of the West Coast rally to be held in the Vicky Zimry community hall in Citrusdal on Sunday, starting at noon.

"We expect a really big turnout," he said. - Sapa

[Mo Rush]

[briker]

Proof, the ANC runs on Monkey Brains!

[The E.N.D]

LOL (for real)!Where did you get that Mo.Rush?!This explains a lot.

[briker]

Call for Zille to run for premier
26 October 2008,

There is growing support in the Western Cape for Helen Zille to become the DA's candidate for premier in the election but the party leader is taking a cautious approach to her immediate political future.

Political parties still have a few months before they finalise their party lists as the date of the election has not been announced yet.

But while the DA members mull over what is best for the party, the race in the Independent Democrats is in full swing with its deputy president Simon Grindrod and provincial leader Sakkie Jenner running a two-horse race for the top slot.

Even though the ANC has not yet finalised its lists, tradition would indicate that provincial leader Mcebisi Skwatsha looks set to be the premier candidate.

Zille is both the mayor of Cape Town and national leader of the DA.

The DA constitution allows the leader of the party to choose any position, be it on the national Parliament list as premier candidate in any province, or a mayoral candidate in any municipality.

But, before making any decisions on the elections, Zille has taken a cautious approach and commissioned research.

Her spokesperson Fritz de Klerk said on Saturday they were looking into which position the leader should take that would be in the best interests of the party.

The split in the ANC and the effect it would have on the vote are also being taken into consideration.

However, the DA's Robin Carlisle said last week there were strong feelings Zille should be the party's provincial premier candidate.

He said many party members in Mitchells Plain, traditionally a DA stronghold, were rooting for Zille.

He was echoed by city councillor JP Smith, who said even though Zille was keen to develop other personalities in the party, he would support her for premier.

"If Helen is half as good a premier as mayor, she would be awesome in the position. The province would really perform."

DA federal council chairperson James Selfe said the council would have to carefully analyse the issues before deciding which provinces were strategic.

This would determine the choice of premier candidates.

Selfe said, however, it was still "early days" and the party had enough time to make its decisions.

National organiser for the Independent Democrats Joe Mcgluwa said those nominated as premier candidates in the party would go through a rigorous process of interviews before decisions were made by the national management committee.

"We will announce the candidates after we launch our election manifesto at the end of November."

[mike2005]

is that exam slip for real?my god its even more scary when you think that he is actually quite qualified compared to most of the animals that make up the ANC

[Lydon]

Please tell me that exam slip is a joke...

[EduardSA]

unfortunately not....

[Lydon]

and I thought I was bad at maths!

[DennisRodman97]

Why cant there be standard qualification to run for any top office in south africa just like it is in america...atleast somebody with a degree and went to top schools in SA. Barack obama was the president of harvard review law.....that aint no joke...and he was the first black to hold that position in the history of harvard....and still people say he is not qualify enough to be the president of the free world.

[cthighflyer]

Zille for Presedent

[Dames]

Originally Posted by DennisRodman97

Why cant there be standard qualification to run for any top office in south africa just like it is in america...atleast somebody with a degree and went to top schools in SA. Barack obama was the president of harvard review law.....that aint no joke...and he was the first black to hold that position in the history of harvard....and still people say he is not qualify enough to be the president of the free world.

Highly unlikely... seeing that the Gauteng MEC for education has said that academic qualifications and matric results were not important when it comes to leadership.

[DennisRodman97]

too damn of a shame.....i wish more people of south africa are open minded and vote zille for president

[Klausenburg]

Originally Posted by Mo Rush

This means that Malema is speaking some Afrikaans?

[annman]

Strong Western Cape backing for new party
2008-11-03 12:13:49

The Western Cape wing of the newly formed SA Democratic Congress is expected to appoint its interim provincial leadership tomorrow.

Former Western Cape community safety MEC Leonard Ramatlakane said the SADC would appoint the leadership structure at a meeting in Cape Town tomorrow. It would comprise 10 members, replicating the national leadership structure.

He repeated that 14 000 ANC members in the province had signalled the intention of joining the new party - a figure which is vehemently contested by the ANC.

Ramatlakane said a provincial SADC conference was only likely to take place after the official launch on December 16.

He also confirmed that he was one of 560 Western Cape delegates to attend the new party's convention in Johannesburg at the weekend.

Many in the breakaway faction are confident of giving the ANC a serious run for its money at next year's elections.

Local supporters and co-ordinators say further resignations from the ANC should be ex-pected, including those of sever-al provincial ward councillors.

Asked whether they were not weary of people simply jumping on the bandwagon, a national steering committee member told the Cape Argus: "The test of conviction would be who gives up what they have, to join the unknown."

He was confident, though, that with the confirmation of a new party, more people would come out of the woodwork and put up their hands to join.

For now, he said, it was all about "putting shoulder to the wheel" - going all out on a recruitment campaign, setting up party structures and preparing for the party launch.

The delivery of membership forms to provinces, as well as member registration, was due to begin in the next two days, he said.

While the interim leadership would be busy with log-istical preparations, supporters, especially delegates at the convention, were expected to go all out on a recruitment campaign at ward level.

"We are talking of mobilising, recruitment and all sorts of other preparation for the launch," said Brian Heber, a former ANC councillor in the City of Cape Town.

Ndithini Tyhido, a provincial co-ordinator, said that unlike other provinces, the Western Cape had already covered a lot of groundwork.

In the past three weeks, several meetings had been held around the province, where disgruntled ANC members had "resigned" and prepared the ground for the new formation.

Some ANC members who at-tended the convention predict-ed tough times ahead for the ruling party, especially in the Western Cape.

"It's a tide that cannot be changed," said Themba Mpetha, a guest at the convention.

Mpetha said the ANC had been arrogant when it failed to explain the recall of ex-premier Ebrahim Rasool to the people.

"Of all the provinces, they couldn't afford that. That was arrogance which disappointed voters," said Mpetha.

Addressing the convention, another Western Cape ANC member, Nils Flaaten, said that after raising issues several times with the party's national leadership and being ignored, they had given up, to find a new home in the convention.

"For the first time, the Western Cape is united at a conference," said Flaaten to a roar of applause from the packed auditorium. - Additional reporting by Murray Williams

[Die Kapenaar]

ANC axes four councillors for 'colluding with Shikota'

November 04, 2008 Edition 2

By MURRAY WILLIAMS

Staff Writer

Four ANC City of Cape Town councillors have been asked to resign from the party for allegedly colluding with the new "Shikota Express" political party.

This comes after the new breakaway party gathered momentum with its first conference at the weekend.

The party was expected to name its 10 interim provincial leaders today.

But before it could do so, the ANC announced today that it had asked four city councillors to resign.

Provincial ANC secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha said the four had been "monitored for weeks".


"We've been gathering information over a period of weeks. And when we believed we had sufficient evidence, we put it to them yesterday."

Skwatsha said the four had been accused of contravening the ANC's constitution by colluding with the new party, using ANC party structures while doing so and "working to undermine" the ANC in the process.

Councillors Mzwandile Matiwane , Boyisile Mafilika, Wandile Nkwele and Kululwa Mpongo, a proportional representation councillor elected to council on the ANC's party list, were all asked to resign.

In the case of the first three councillors, by-elections will now be held.

Mafilika said today that he would consult his constituents before deciding on his future.

Matiwane confirmed that he had agreed to resign. He would stand as a candidate in a by-election if asked to by his community. Nkwele also confirmed he had been asked to resign, but said he was waiting to consult his electorate, who would decide on his fate, "and not the ANC".

Mpongo and denied that she supported the new party "yet".

[annman]

ANC sacks suspected COP supporters

November 09 2008 at 03:10PM
By Sandiso Phaliso

The ANC asked almost all the ward councillors in the Cape Town's Sub-Council 13 in Philippi to resign last week and thousands of residents have vowed to follow them to the new Congress of the People.

In separate community meetings held in Philippi last week councillors Monwabisi Mbaliswano, Wandile Nkwele, Mzwandile Matiwane, Buyisile Mafilika, Bongani Mini and proportional councillor Kuluwa Mapongo announced their resignations as councillors and ANC members.

The only ward councillor left in the sub-council is ANC-elected Moses Baskiti from ward 80.

Ward 34 councillor Mini said that on October 31 all the councillors, excepting Mapongo, received an SMS requesting them to report to the ANC's provincial office on Monday.

He was in the Eastern Cape and unable to go, but his colleagues told him they were instructed to resign from their positions as they were seen to be supporting the "Shikota" movement, now officially named the Congress of the People.

Mbaliswano said the councillors approached their respective wards on Tuesday and asked them what to do. The resounding response was that they resign and join the COP.

Mbaliswano, Nkwele, Matiwane, Mafilika and Mapongo handed in their resignations on Wednesday.

On Thursday evening Mini approached his ward and received the same response. He resigned on Friday morning.

Thousands of residents pledged to vote for them if they represented the new party.

Residents speaking from the floor at last week's meetings - which were attended by thousands - said they felt disappointed and undermined by the ANC leadership in the province.

Residents asked why the ANC provincial leaders had not spoken to the masses and asked their opinions of their councillors before requesting their resignation.

Minority groups at the meetings said they would support new councillors appointed by the ANC but the overwhelming majority said they would follow their councillors to the the new party.

The ANC's provincial office said on Friday the decision to axe the councillors was due to them using ANC structures to mobilise "for another political party".

However, the provincial office said the councillors were not asked to resign as ANC members.

"We will continue to take decisive action against any ANC public representative who misuses the resources of the ANC and we are prepared and ready to fight and win these by-elections," read the statement.

But the ANC appears to be facing a battle for support in the Western Cape, a province which has already lost its key metropole to the DA coalition and has seen long-running ANC infighting between current provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha and former chairperson James Ngculu and former premier Ebrahim Rasool.

The recall of Rasool also angered many ANC supporters, especially Muslim voters.

The ANC's provincial conference in September was boycotted by 86 of the 205 branches, who were dissatisfied with the way branch AGM's had been chaired in the run-up to the conference.

During Mini's meeting on Thursday, Philippi branch chairperson Ben Nokatyo, an ANC member for the 40 years, told the packed meeting he had also decided to resign from the ANC because it was not upholding the principles of the Freedom Charter.

"I will never again be a member of the ANC," Nokatyo said.

The 1500 people in the hall applauded loudly. - West Cape News

[Alex Roney]

Originally Posted by DennisRodman97

Why cant there be standard qualification to run for any top office in south africa just like it is in america...atleast somebody with a degree and went to top schools in SA. Barack obama was the president of harvard review law.....that aint no joke...and he was the first black to hold that position in the history of harvard....and still people say he is not qualify enough to be the president of the free world.

To be fair, theirs a difference between being "smart" enough to hold a high position than to have "legislative" experience. The latter Obama did not have, since he was only Illinois Senator for two years who actually never "ran" anything like a governor or mayor would. Him being part of the Harvard Law Review, is a testament to his great intellect, not experience. But I don't think experience should be the overriding factor, I think it's one of them but not the most important. Bush was a decent governor of Texas and we know how his presidency went....

[annman]

ACDP 2%
ANC 28%
CoP 22%
DA 45%
ID 12%
VF 1%

Just a lame prediction... no Poll of Polls or Markinor Survey... just me being political-silly! I may also be out of touch with how much support Patricia has out there and making a call on the CoP is nearly impossible! But I think the CoP will be strongest in the WC and GP, they seem to be pulling more of the urban black (but also crossing racial boundaries... yeah!) electorate.