By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former ANC Dullah Omar regional secretary Vuyiso Tyhalisisu has been elected as Provincial Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in Western Cape.
Tyhalisisu received 311 votes beating Cameron Dugmore (282), ANC leader in the provincial legislature by 29 votes.
He was only nominated from the floor on Saturday night after the convenor of the interim provincial committee, Lerumo Kalako declined his nomination.
Tyhalisisu is a former regional secretary of the Dullah Omar region – the province’s biggest region.
Richard Dyantyi who was also touted as the next chairperson failed to even meet the threshold to make it onto the ballot paper.
Anwa Dramat, former head of the Hawks, who was expected to become the secretary also didn’t make the cut, like Dyantyi.
Sharon Davids (Boland) was elected the new deputy chair, while the West Coast’s Neville Delport was elected provincial secretary. Ayanda Bans beat JJ van Rooyen for the deputy secretary position with Derick Appel who was elected unopposed as provincial treasurer completing the Top 5 leadership.
Here are the Results of the Officials:
Chairperson
Cameron Dugmore – 282
Vuyiso JJ Tyhalisisu – 311
Deputy Chair
Sharon Davids – 340
Lulama Mvimbi – 256
Secretary
Neville Delport – 332
Thandi Makasi – 267
Deputy Secretary
Ayanda Bans – 348
JJ van Rooyen – 244
Treasurer (Unopposed)
Derek Appel
Meanwhile, in his political report Kalako said the IPC he led was plagued by factionalism with some of its members showing boycotting and condemning programmes run by those they opposed in the same team.
He accused national leaders of sponsoring the factionalism in the province.
The IPC has been running the ANC in the province since August 2019.
Reflecting on the four years of the IPC, Kalako said the structure was mandated to develop a comprehensive and systematic programme of rebuilding the ANC in the province.
Kalako said the IPC inherited a dysfunctional organisation with branches that were not taking up community the issues.
“In addition to the total absence of a coherent and functioning organisation was the lack of resources to run political programmes,” he said.
In fact, all accounts of the ANC were empty because of the national state of the ANC, especially financially.
Kalako said donors in the province refused to be associated with the party but Luthuli House was able to assist the province to run some of its programmes, albeit in a limited manner.