ANC FS implements controversial step aside against Mangaung councillor

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein- The political infigting within the ruling party in the Free State ANC continue unabated as ANC in the province implemented its controversial step aside rule against Mangaung Metro councillor.

The party has since announced the suspension the controvesial Proportional Councillor(PR) at the embattled Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM) Patrick Monyakoane.

A document with the suspension details directed at Monyakoane is doing rounds on social media. A letter from the office of the newly elected Provincial Secretary(SG), Poleliso “50 000 Jobs for Youth” Motsoeneng, inform Monyakoane about his immeidiate suspension as the member of ANC in Mangaung.

This letter reads;

“The adopted guidelines of the ANC provide that if a member of the ANC has been indicted in a court of law ,that member should step aside voluntarily and if that member refuses to step aside that member should be suspended from the ANC pending the finanlisation of his or her court case”.

“It is commom cause that you are indicted in a court of law. You have repeatedly refused to step aside, as per the guidelines, despite requests for you to do so.

In the light thereof, please be adviced that you are here by suspended with immediate effect, as the member pending the finalisation of your court matter”.

Monyakoane stand of accused of assaulting former ANC Member, Nkahiseng Sefume and other former ANC members, in 2012 in Moroka in Selosesha. His trial commenced in 2021 at the Thaba Nchu Regional Court in the Free State.

This is not for the first the ANC in the province announces the suspension of former Mangaung Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC)/for Transport.

In January 2022 ANC’s Mangaung’s Interim Regional Committee(IRC) announced the suspension of Monyakoane and Mangaung Council speaker Stefani Lockman-Naidoo.

During a media brefing at held at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein, former IRC’s coordinator, Sabelo Pitso, told Journalists that the party wanted Monyakoane to be removed from the list of the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC).

He said Monyakoane was part of a group of ANC members who voted opposition parties to remove former Mangaung Acting City Manager(ACM) Sello More as the acting manager.

In 2022 during a parallel Regional Elective Conference Monyakoane was elected as the chairperson of the parallel structure at the conference held in Bon Hotel in Bloemfontein in December 2022.

The conference by the parrell structure which elected Monyakoane as its chairperson came after a group of irate party members sufferd a defeat at the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein over a range issues.

A High Court Judge, Suzan Boonzaaier, dismissed the parallel structure’s case against then Mangaung Interim Regional Committee (IRC).

At least four ANC members took the party to court in November, on the eve of the Regional Elective Conferenc to try and prevent the party’s regional conference.

This was not for the first time the irate ANC members dragged the party to court pver issues.

In October ANC members took the IPC to court to seeking an order to disband then IPC for failure to organise ans hold a provincial elective conference.

Meanwhile, following the National Exective Committee(NEC) meeting held on Monday, 21 February 2023 in relation to the Free State conference, the NEC said it noted the work undertaken by the Task Team led by deputy minister of water and saniation David Mahlobo and its recommendations to the National Working Committee(NWC).

ANC National spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, says in a statement that the the NEC supports the decision of the IPC that recognized the outcome of Mangaung conference held at Mvelo Safari Lodge and Lejweleputswa and the respective RECs as duly elected.

“The NEC further directed the PEC to take appropriate action against the organizers of a parallel conference held at President’s Hotel.

The NEC further directed the PEC to developand implement political management programme or mechanism of bringing all comrades in the affected region into the ANC fold,”Bhengu-Motsiri says.

Spokesperson to the parralle structure ,Fannie Lelimo, earlier in a statement said they had concerns that 23 branches in Mangaung had issued disputes with the ANC’s provincial dispute resolution committee, but only 3 of them were called by the party’s upper structure – the Interim Provincial Committee (IPC).

However, whilst delivering her judgement on December 2022 over the case brought by Monyakoane’s group the judge said.

“One cannot turn a blind eye to the concerns and unresolved disputes between the parties. However, a regional conference like the one that was being held cannot be organised overnight. It was never canvassed at what stage or at what particular time the applicants became aware of the mentioned conference to be held.

The applicants jolted into action when it became apparent that the conference is definitely going to be held”.

This is a developing story.

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