Gloves off as Ngcukayitobi asks ANC bigwigs to probe manipulation allegations

Eastern Cape ANC secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi has asked the ANC top brass to investigate “membership systems failure, manipulation and inconsistent application of guidelines” that he believes are threatening to compromise the upcoming provincial elective conference, laying the blame squarely on secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. In a strongly worded-letter addressed to the senior national officials, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and chair Gwende Mantashe, Ngcukayitobi highlighted a litany of alleged irregularities relating to branch general meetings convened to pick delegates to represent branches in conferences. He warned failure to address the issues could threaten the credibility of the party’s conference and open it to litigation.

Battle lines have been drawn ahead of the provincial conference in KuGompo City next week, in which Ngcukayitobi will challenge provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane for the hotseat. Appealing to the party to urgently tackle the issues, Ngcukayitobi said this is the second letter to Mbalula highlighting them. “A letter which was both carelessly treated and was trivialised,” he wrote.

“The ANC in the Eastern Cape has been running both the branch biennial general meetings, branch general meetings and regional conferences since 2025 and is preparing to hold its 10th provincial conference from the March 27- 30. “These conferences are held under very difficult conditions wherein the ANC is facing an existential crisis as evidenced by the 2024 electoral support, henceforth committed itself for a renewal which is well articulated in various documents including highlights on guidelines on conference guidelines. “Further, this conference is convened just a few months before local government elections — another test case for the strength and resilience of the ANC.

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“It is therefore incumbent on us, leaders of the ANC from national to the province, to ensure that processes leading up to the BBAGMs and conferences are credible, free, fair and democratic and allow members to elect their leaders without undue influence, interference, manipulation and patronage. “We must all endeavour to ensure that the prescripts of the ANC NEC [national executive committee] adopted guidelines on conferences and ANC constitution are followed to the letter.”

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