YOUNG AND OLD: Two ANC supporters, Nocawe Ndema and teenager Amahle Mpame enjoy the vibe at the party’s manifesto launch held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. Picture: MIKE HOLMES
‘We were assured that 100 000 people were going to attend, but that was not the case’
UNHAPPY ANC head honchos are demanding to know why the party’s provincial leaders failed to deliver on a promise to pack the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
ANC head of policy Jeff Radebe confirmed yesterday that the party was very disappointed by the attendance as provincial leaders had assured them that more than 100 000 people would attend the ANC’s national manifesto launch in the city.
Provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane yesterday blamed logistical transport problems for the lower-than-expected attendance – estimated at about 40 000.
He also said it could not be used as a barometer of the ANC’s support in the metro or to predict its electoral performance on August 3.
The manifesto launch, which was strategically held in the Bay, had been designed to display the ANC’s support and to disprove perceptions that it was fast losing its grip on power in the metro.
However, while the party attracted an excited crowd, the event fell short of the usual grandeur for which the ANC has become known.
Some insiders claimed the logistical transport nightmare was, in fact, the result of clashes within the ANC’s leadership ranks in the province and metro, which boiled over in the days leading up to Saturday.
Radebe said: “An investigation is under way to understand what happened. It is disappointing and unacceptable …
“We were assured that 100 000 people were going to attend, but that was not the case.
“We are meeting [today], we need to get the facts and people should account.”
However, Mabuyane said: “We were planning according to what we had and we thought it was all systems go.
“The filling or not filling of the stadium cannot be a barometer of whether the ANC will win or lose in Port Elizabeth.”
He said some members had cut their trip short and returned home following an accident involving one of their hired taxis transporting people to Port Elizabeth.
“Others, we transported them to a rally and then they decided to first go to the beach,” Mabuyane said.
“So we had another rally at the beach, while the main rally went on at the stadium. Those issues we have to look at because we cannot not bring rallies to a city with the beach simply because others are not used to it.”
The party’s attention turns this week to the nomination of its councillor candidates for the elections, as well as starting a formal process of nominating a mayoral candidate.
While it is understood that mayor Danny Jordaan is seen by Luthuli House as a frontrunner, his nomination has to be approved by the national executive committee (NEC), with input from the provincial leadership.
Four party insiders from the local, provincial and national leadership structures claimed that the relationship between Jordaan and the province was tense and that the mayor did not enjoy the support of some of the Eastern Cape bosses.
Asked if the provincial executive committee (PEC) supported Jordaan to be the mayoral candidate, Mabuyane said: “Danny Jordaan is not going to be the mayor of the NEC or of the PEC, he will be mayor of the people of [Nelson] Mandela Bay.
“The ANC has agreed on a process to say leaders of the people must come from the people.
“From the wards [nominations] to list conferences, and on the basis of what we see and what we know, after list conferences sit next week then we will see where we are.
“But the ANC has agreed that provinces and regions will do their recommendations as usual,” he said.
“Names will be processed and provinces will take responsibility of that in consultation with national. Then the names will be unveiled by national. All of them, not just [Nelson] Mandela Bay.”
Asked if, on the basis of the work done by Jordaan so far, the PEC would consider backing him, Mabuyane said: “As a province, we are quite pleased with the work that comrade Danny is doing, together with the collective.”
Meanwhile, regional task team (RTT) coordinator Beza Ntshona said the regional list conference was due to take place on Saturday, although they were still trying to find a suitable venue for branch leaders.
Asked if the RTT supported Jordaan as its mayoral candidate, Ntshona said: “At this stage, we cannot say that there are any challenges with the mayor.
“The RTT is working very well with the executive mayor.
“We have not discussed who we will support as yet. Before the end of April, we want to send our preferred candidate to the province for consideration.
“Of course, we know that the NEC will make the final decision,” Ntshona said.
The post ANC demands answers on low turnout appeared first on HeraldLIVE.