ANC Gauteng calls briefing: Will Lesufi defy Mbalula gag order on ‘reconfiguration’?
Amid uncertainty about the future of its top five leaders, the ANC in Gauteng will hold a media briefing on Thursday.
The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng is expected to brief the media on Thursday, 23 January, about governance matters and persisting water woes in the province.
The briefing comes just after the party’s secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, on Tuesday, instructed all ANC members, particularly spokespersons, not to make any pronouncements regarding the upcoming “reconfiguration” in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
ANC GAUTENG TO BRIEF MEDIA AMID GAG ORDER
As previously reported by The South African, the party’s national executive committee (NEC) opted to reconfigure its leadership in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, led by chairperson Siboniso Duma, following a major electoral decline in the 2024 national and provincial elections.
On Monday, Mbalula said this would be done within the framework of the party’s constitution. He added that reconfiguration included both “dissolution and reinforcement”, and would involve changes to the top five leadership positions in the two provinces.
In a statement that was circulated on social media, Mbalula said he is “the only person mandated to speak on the NEC decisions with regards to the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng until next week when the matter will be finalised by both the national officials and the NWC as per the NEC decision”.
Although the ANC will restructure its top five leadership in the two provinces, Mbalula said the party would not interfere with government processes, and officials deployed in government would retain their positions.
This means that Panyaza Lesufi will remain the premier in Gauteng and Sboniso Duma will continue to serve as the MEC of Transport and Human Settlements in KZN.
On Wednesday, ANC Gauteng spokesperson Lesego Makhubela said party would convene a media briefing on Thursday, 23 January, to deliberate on governance matters including the back to school and right to learn campaigns, water challenges and the January 8 Gauteng rally.
DO YOU THINK PANYAZA LESUFI WILL DEFY MBALULA’S GAG ORDER?
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