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The African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, has announced the disbandment of the party’s Western Cape Provincial Executive Committee (PEC). The committee is to be replaced by a Provincial Task Team led by former Chairperson, Ebrahim Rasool. The announcement was made following engagements with the PEC. Rasool is yet to confirm if he will be undertaking the task of convenor due to other party responsibilities he holds. He is a former ambassador in the United States who was recently deported from that country after he allegedly made damning remarks about US President, Donald Trump’s administration. However, it’s not the first time he has been in charge of the ANC’s political affairs in the province. “The end goal is to strengthen the ANC in the Western Cape. That’s what we are doing. So, we have not taken a drastic decision to dissolve anyone. We have reconfigured the leadership, strengthened the leadership, brought into its rank’s other comrades and the leaders who will add value to this leadership. We have basically taken everyone irrespective of where they stood in the last conference to lead the ANC in this province,” says Mbalula. Mbalula says they want to strengthen the party’s branches ahead of the Local Government Elections next year. The ANC in the Western Cape experienced a 9% drop-in support during the national government elections in 2024. Mbalula says the reconfiguration of the PEC is not a punitive measure against the committee but is to strengthen the party instead. He says Rasool is yet to confirm if he will be undertaking the task. Outgoing PEC Chairperson, Jay Jay Tyhalisisu is expected to be retained as deputy convenor.
