The march to hand over a petition to MEC Fikile Xasa at the City Hall today will go ahead, says organiser Daphne Timm. The petition, which calls for the dissolution of the Makana Municipality Council in terms of Section 139(1)(c) has 20 500 signatures.
Meanwhile Local leadership of both Sanco and the ANC have confirmed a second march announced on social media today. This is despite strong concer expressed to local ANC leadership and REC deployees about it.
Sanco chairperson Bongile Singata says they will join the march after a court case under way today.
ANC local leadership have confirmed the march. Councillor Malibongwe Kubalo, after a Council portfolio committee today told Grocott’s Mail that as Branch Chairperson he would be joining the march “to defend our municipality”. He said fellow ANC councillors would also join the march in their capacity as ANC members.
However the Regional Executive Committee of the ANC has expressed strong concern about the move by local membership.
Regional Chair Scara Njadayi, in a letter to local organisers and seen by Grocott’s Mail, said, “I think the content carried in the Makana ANC Poster of Defending the Municipality is in contrast with the founding principles, tradition and values of the congress movement. My understanding is that the ANC is leaning towards the poor and the working class therefore it cannot at any given time be against the masses.
“Further Councillors and BECs of the ANC must be tolerant to any dissent view on how things are unfolding in the Municipality, their role is to bring sanity, provide leadership and ultimately avoid any eventuality [calamity].”
Njadayi suggested to the REC member engaging with local leaders about the march that he advise them to reconsider their decision to counter the protest march under the banner of the ANC in defence of a Municipality “unless you are advised otherwise by the REC deployees”.
Njadayi said, “The ANC promotes democratic principles and the right of individuals to protest.”
Asked about potential conflict given the local ANC leadership have organised their march at roughly the same time and on part of the same route as the other march starting at KwaJackie, Subregion Chair Mabhuti Matyumza says (this morning): “It is not on the same route, and it is not at the same time. The ANC will never participate in any even that interferes with the democratic rights of other organisations. That other planned march must go ahead. People have the democratic right to express themselves. The ANC cannot participate in any confrontation.”
Grocott’s can confirm that the police are on alert.
