STAFF REPORTER|
DELEGATES at the 6th ANC Policy Conference held at NASREC, south of Johannesburg, have overwhelmingly endorsed the controversial step-aside resolution that the governing party passed at its 2017 National Conference.
The step-aside policy, which requires party leaders accused of corruption to step down from their positions, was endorsed at the conference despite some fierce opposition from Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal delegates.
Vociferous delegates from Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal argued that the step-aside rule was not implemented consistently and was being used by the party’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to silence his opponents such as suspended ANC Secretary General, Ace Magashule.
The Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape provinces were among those that openly fought hard at the policy conference to keep the step-aside rule in place.
Eastern Cape ANC Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane was one of the party leaders who dismissed calls to scrap the step-aside resolution.
The policy conference, which is seen as a preview to ANC’s conference in December where it will elect new leaders, was attended by more than 3,000 delegates.
“The overwhelming view of conference is for the retention of the step-aside provisions to enhance the integrity of the movement and it’s leadership. Conference also noted that there are strong concerns on the perceived lack of consistency,” said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa said the party could not abandon rules for the sake of maintaining ‘false’ unity.
“We cannot abandon our principle positions, for instance on issues such as corruption, in pursuit of a false unity. Our movement must be united around values and our mission,” said Ramaphosa.
“It must be united against corruption, patronage and factionalism. The people of SA will not forgive us if we abandon the correct positions we have taken on confronting wrongdoing within our ranks.”
Resolutions from the policy conference are expected to be carried forward to the discussions at the December elective conference, where they would be ratified as official party policy.
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