THE battle lines have been drawn as who should lead the most influential ANC’s Musa Dladla Region, if social media is anything to go by.
Members of the ANC in this region have been using facebook to campaign openly for their preferred candidates, with the forthcoming regional conference scheduled for October 10-12 this year at a venue yet to be announced.
The two candidates have emerged are the current chairperson Thulani Mashaba, and a unionist and former President of NUMSA, Cedric Gina.
This conduct by some members of the ANC has not gone down well with Mashaba, who has described it as ‘foreign tendencies which must be uprooted’.
In an exclusive interview with the Zululand Observer, Mashaba lambasted those members of the ANC who are ‘abusing’ social media platforms.
‘Let me hasten to say, the nomination process for the preferred candidates has not officially started.
What you see on social networks, in particular fcebook is pure lobbying.
‘There is nothing wrong with that, but it is worrying when we see the kind of language that some members use when campaigning.
‘The character assassination we see there is unwarranted.
‘It it wrong to manipulate the fair process of the conference.
‘We understand that we live in an era of technological progress, but whatever we do, must be within the conduct and discipline of our glorious movement.
‘From where I sit, I have received no nomination, because the process has not begun, so too with Comrade Gina.
‘By the way there is no bad blood between myself and Comrade Gina.
‘The nomination process will only be made officially from 1 August to 9 September this year.’
Mashaba said as a region they were more than ready to hold a successful conference, as their term of office comes to an end this year.
‘It’s all systems go for the conference, as we have more than 70% of our branches in good standing.
‘We have embarked on a programme to visit all our sub-regions, telling them about the state of readiness and what is expected of them.
‘At the conference we will not only elect the new leadership, but we will also look at the progress we have made, our shortcomings, as well as charting a way forward.’
He said the region was blessed to have produced a Provincial Premier in Senzo Mchunu and the President of the country, Jacob Zuma, both who are from the Musa Dladla Region.
Open Letter
When asked about an ‘Open Letter,’ which surfaced on facebook late last year, describing him as a dictator, who interfered in the running of local municipalities while making the lives of local mayors difficult, Mashaba said that was water under the bridge.
‘I will be telling lies if I say that letter did nothing to me.
‘It did tarnish my image and that of my family, but the beauty of it is that, even our Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe came to the conclusion that the writer of the letter was not a member of the ANC.
‘He advised us to spend more time on making the lives of the people better, than losing focusing on trivial issues.
‘That was a terrible letter, because it said if I was not removed, there would be blood flowing.
‘In that letter I was projected as someone who came from nowhere and was hanged on power, yet I have been involved in the struggle all my life and have served in various positions, starting from Cosas, the Youth League and the ANC mother body,’ he said.
