EC ANC welcomes outcome of OR Tambo regional conference

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The leader of the ANC's OR Tambo region, Thandekile Sabisa, has been re-elected in a closely fought contest.

Sabisa obtained 294 votes to the 284 of William Mkhize, who was contesting him, said Eastern Cape Traditional Affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane.

In a statement on Monday, Qoboshiyane said the ANC's Provincial Executive Committee and NEC deployees to the OR Tambo conference "congratulate the newly elected leaders from the top 5 to all additional members elected to the Regional Executive Committee."

"We also congratulate all ANC members in the region for holding a successful conference when it resumed on Saturday for ensuring that the business of the conference was conducted without delays," he said.

Qoboshiyane said "the elected Regional leadership has a task to reach out to all members, including Comrades who were vying for the same positions they now hold. Democratic contestation is allowed in the ANC and building relations amongst Comrades post elections to structures is paramount it in the ANC. Comrades must continue to work together in the region."

"In the next ordinary PEC meeting, conference report will be tabled in the presence of the Regional Chairman and Secretary who sit in the meetings of the provincial structure as ex-officio members," he said.

"Now that the conference is over, we invite all ANC branches in the region to bury pre-conference excitement based on personal preferences for the elections in order to work together to build the ANC and ensure full implementation of the ANC manifesto and political programme in the region."

"All branches must return to the basics as the team from Luthuli House is now auditing all ANC Eastern Cape members in our branches. Comrades must double their efforts as we are preparing for the National Conference in Mangaung."

"Unity and cohesion must guide us as we are drawing close to 1 October 2012 where branches will be allowed to express their leadership preferences ahead of our conference in Mangaung. Guidelines for this, which be issued by the NEC must be respected by all of us so that, when we lobby ANC members for elections, we don't damage each other and we don't destroy the ANC at the same time," Qoboshiyane said.

The PEC is now working close with the Interim Regional Committee of Amathole in preparation for its regional conference, said Qoboshiyane.