ANC orders Dlabathi back to work

The leadership of theANCresolved to reinstate Ekurhuleni regional secretaryJongizizwe Dlabathiand has instructed him to return to his positions in both the party and in the municipality. TheMail & Guardianunderstands that the instruction came after a meeting with the party’s headquarters political management committee and the provincial task teamon Sunday. Dlabathi had resigned from his position as ANC regional secretary in Ekurhuleni and from his role as the City of Ekurhuleni’s MMC for finance late last month.

The resignation, dated 27 February, followed internal disagreements within the ANC’s Ekurhuleni leadership and tension within the municipality’s political structures. In the letter, Dlabathi described the decision as “deeply considered” and said he believed stepping aside would serve the organisation. “At this juncture, it is important that I take this decision in the interest of organisational stability,” he wrote.

A source told theM&Gthat Dlabathi has resigned following an intense meeting in the regional executive committee. One of the issues, the source said, was that Dlabathi held two full-time positions which were heavily demanding. His dual role placed him at the centre of both the ANC’s organisational leadership in the region and the governance of the municipality.

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As regional secretary, he oversaw the party’s political programme and internal operations in Ekurhuleni, one of the ANC’s largest regions in Gauteng. In the municipality, he was responsible for the city’s finances, including oversight of the metro’s multibillion-rand budget. “The ANC resolved in the national general council that all regional secretaries must work to rebuild the organisation,” the source said.

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