In what many Free State African National Congress (ANC) leaders see as an endorsement of Thabo Manyoni’s ambitions to become the province’s chairman in the coming provincial conference to be held in August or September ahead of the national conference that will see the incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa seeking a second term, Free State Premier Sefora Ntombela shared a banner with Manyoni’s face written “Thabo “Troskie” Manyoni for provincial chairperson” much to the annoyance of ANC leaders in the group.
Leaked WhatsApp texts show to paint a picture of what went down:
“Guys you are not serious about ANC leading this province. Bo Thabo have done their part and that is the reason we are in this mess. We can’t continuously recycle failed leaders as if there are no other people that can lead this province,” reads a text in the group
Another one concurred.
“Fully concur Mmuso… pity that someone trusted with such seniority by our movement behaves unANC like. The Magashule slate politics will be very difficult to uproot in our province.”
“Morning Premier, are there any other candidates that you know of? I need to start praying for my preferred.”
It was surprising to see former President Thabo Mbeki’s comments thrown into the WhatsApp attack.
“E kare ha ra utlwa president Mbeki hantle (It looks like we didn’t hear president Mbeki clearly) at Imvelo on the issue of self-promotion and making a premature declaration on individuals. Nothing against Troskie but this is wrong.”
Below is what former president Mbeki said.
The last one attacked Premier for having no shame.
It is not the first time Ntombela finds herself in the WhatsApp mess. Last year there was a leaked WhatsApp text purported to have been sent by her in the EXCO group where she allegedly said.
“Ok this one next to me must go.
I have decided. Waiting to discuss with President and Jessie.”
Sources at the time said the messages were directed at the erstwhile MEC of Police, Roads, and Transport, Sam Mashinini who was eventually reshuffled.
Manyoni who was deputy chairperson ahead of the provincial conference in 2017 challenged the now suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule and pulled out of the eleventh hour alleging rigging and admitted on both SABC and 702 during interviews.
The irony of what he said was he was cited in the constitutional court order:
The provincial elective conference of the Free State province of the African National Conference was held in Parys on the 21 – 23 June 2012 and its decisions and resolutions are declared unlawful and invalid.
Did he say anything about that judgment? No. Why did he only find his Damascus moment after his bid to oust Ace failed?
It was under his watch as Mangaung Executive Mayor that Dr. Molemela Stadium and Hoffman Square were refurbished allegedly for R33 million and the much talked about white elephant and useless taxi rank that cost taxpayers money R350 million wasteful expenditure as per our communication with the Auditor General of South Africa’s Afrika Boso and to date, no one has been held accountable. It’s commuters struggle during winter or worse basking in the sun during summer.
WATCH:
A taxi rank plan in possession of this publication is different from what is built hence even a quantum can’t even turn, it can not even be operational.
According to the original plan the rank is supposed to be up to Correctional Services and ventilation is another change as there are no pathways.
Knowing politicians they do not see nor hear anything about the taxi rank till a president comes.
It also reported one of the factions had a meeting in Parys over Easter weekend to work on the campaign strategy to win the regional conference and provincial.
Premier Ntombela could not be reached for her comment.
If you have news or tips please email us at news@stepupsanews.co.za
WHY SHOULD WE RALLY ALL OF OUR BRANCHES IN SUPPORT OF NOMINATION and ELECTION of Comrade THABO MANYONI as Free State ANC PROVINCIAL CHAIRPERSON (a calculated and informed view)
by King Mokoena
member in good standing
Joe Nhlanhla Branch (W16)
Setsoto Sub – Region
21 April 2022
The question is a bit difficult for me to respond to. I have to measure the question against a criteria set by our movement, a criteria that is imperative and in itself a revolutionary pursuit. I am not sure that I am equal to this mammoth task. I am basically an individual in whom straddles the objective and subjective tendencies, products of my dialectical interphase with my environment, which includes the ANC.
But I am sure I am not an exception, the subjective and objective will always be in a dialectical relationship, dorminant, or recessive or plainly submissive depending on the conspiracy of circumstances at a particular moment in time.
The circumstances at this moment in time is that I know Cde Thabo Manyoni, as a comrade first and as a person I am closely acquainted with, a person I sat for hours with in the past to analyse our organisation in its state of becoming, not a friend in any classical sense.
I understand the dire position our movement is at this time and space of our historical evolution. The need to successively and continuously approximate our unfolding reality to sustain our relevance. In word and deed.
I pride myself that I have reasonable experience of the dynamics of the province of the Free State. I have reasonable insight of the aspirations and dreams often expressed by the ordinary citizens of FS.
My entire life experience has been with ordinary people on the ground. I have never hobnobbed with the affluent or higher echelons of society. But I have interacted with those higher echelons in business and politics. I have interacted more with those in politics. This does not detract from the fact that I have dynamically engaged with those who were and some still national leaders.
I therefore based on my experience have a view about the leadership my province needs at this critical moment in the life of the people in the province.
We need a person who has been in the furnace of the struggle of the people of this country. We need someone who knows the ANC. The values it stands for, it’s history and evolution, it’s morality and ethos, it’s vision for the people of this, it’s strategic imperatives under the society and world in motion.
A lateral thinker. A person who is articulate with knowledge straddling the different aspects of our social and natural life. A versatile person. A person commanding respect from both apparently irreconcilable tendencies that are immobilizing our organisation. A person regarded and seen so. For me that person is Cde Thabo Manyoni.
I am a believer in the youth taking a rightful position at leading society in all aspects of life, but I don’t believe that people should be pilloried because they are older and wiser. This is unAfrican. The elders in our African society have always passed on what they have experienced over the many years of their life to the younger generation.
That is why we need to cure the many diseases which afflicted us over the many years with no written notes. In short it should not be a case of we want young people to lead us into our future.
It should be how do we use experience which some of this older generation has, in combination with the revolutionary zeal and militancy the young people are capable of, to unite and renew the ANC and refocus ourselves and the people on all what is beautiful for sustanance of a better life for our people.
Lastly, from my experience of Cde Thabo Manyoni, he believes in persuasion. He is passionate about people. You might have seen him in company with many thermidorians, but he has a mind of his own. He has lifted many comrades quietly out of very suffocating conditions in life.
Comrades relegated to the periphery by our own conduct which has proved over time to be antithetical to the ethos of the ANC.
It is for this reason we are passionately appealing for support for emergence of Cde Thabo Manyoni as ANC Provincial Chairperson
Let’s support nomination and election of Cde Thabo Manyoni as our saviour and a serious intervention to redress all of our problems in the province. We know how many of them have served in the leadership positions and only coming back to finish off the province. Can they allow themselves to be led?
Many of those who are pretenders to the throne are still to answer for their deeds – that alone will affect standing of ANC should we allow them to lead as branches.
This is my view and I will stand by it anytime. I have a firm belief that what dorminates my view is objectivity.
#ForwardThaboManyoniForward!
#PhambiliThaboManyoniPhambili
#RescueOurProvine
#PhushaDaaiDing