North West ANC denies deputy speaker was forced to resign
Rustenburg - North West deputy speaker Jane Manganye offered to resign and remain a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), the African National Congress (ANC) said on Thursday.
Provincial secretary Dakota Legoete denied that Manganye was being forced to resigned because she preferred Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead the ANC.
"We would like to refute all allegations made by Cde Jane Manganye through the media that she is being purged because of her leadership preference of Deputy President Cde Cyril Ramaphosa to become ANC president. We want to place on record that we have engaged Cde Manganye almost four times this year. We broke the news to her on 05 June 2017, informing her of the decision to redeploy her to the National Assembly in Cape Town," he said.
"Thereafter she made a representation to PEC [Provincial executive Officer] Officials that she cannot go to Cape Town because of her flight phobia and frail mom’s health. In our second meeting with her in Rustenburg -- without being coerced -- she elected to remain in the province as an ordinary MPL and resign as deputy speaker, an offer we agreed to as the ANC leadership."
He said they have been waiting for her resignation letter since June, following their agreement.
In a letter addressed to Manganye on December 5, Legoete gave her until 11am on December 6, to resign as a deputy speaker or she would be recalled.
Manganye stated in media reports that she was being purged because she supports Ramaphosa in the ANC presidential race, while the North West under provincial chairperson Supra Mahumapelo supports former African Union Commission Chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The North West supports Dlamini-Zuma to lead the ANC after the national conference in Johannesburg.
In June, social media reports were circulating that Manganye would be removed from her position and deployed to the national assembly to take the seat left vacant when former Eskom boss, Brian Molefe left parliament and return to Eskom.
Former Rustenburg mayor Matthew Wolmarans was ultimately deployed to take the seat left vacant when Molefe left parliament.