The chairperson of the ANC in the Western Cape, Vuyiso Tyhalisisu, will not be heading to Parliament or the provincial legislature after the May 29 elections.
Tyhalisisu does not appear on any of the party’s three candidate lists despite chairpersons of the ANC in provinces usually heading the candidate list to the provincial legislature.
Speaking to the “Cape Times”, he said he had declined nomination by the branches and that the provincial executive committee (PEC) understood his situation.
“It is a matter that I related to the PEC. I am not at liberty to talk about it, but we ventilated the matter with the leadership of the province,” he said.
He confirmed that he was nominated by numerous branches, which he was thankful for.
“I raised my personal issues, which were acceptable to the leadership,” Tyhalisisu said. “I withdrew at the stage where I was nominated. I did not avail myself,” he said, confirming that he did not go through the selection process.
“I am happy that the PEC accepted with warm hearts my reasons. They are custodians of the process. We ventilated that and they were happy with what I explained to them,” Tyhalisisu said.
The ANC candidates were selected through a process that was handled by the electoral committee headed by former president Kgalema Motlanthe.
They were required to possess a post-matric qualification, to complete leadership modules at the Oliver Tambo School of Leadership, be ANC members in good standing, demonstrate commitment to the democratic movement and have no criminal record.
Tyhalisisu’s unavailability to stand for nomination has since put the ANC premier candidate selection process for the Western Cape into a tailspin.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently said the naming of the ANC premier candidate has been met with many objections.
This is after provincial spokesperson Khalid Sayed was the preferred candidate after three names were sent to the ANC headquarters, Luthuli House.
Ramaphosa had said they decided to nominate a premier candidate to boost their campaign, but the consultation was undertaken after they “had a flurry of views objecting”.
Asked about the announcement of the premier candidate, Tyhalisisu said questions should be directed to Luthuli House.
“Only the national office can respond to that. In terms of processes, the national executive committee took a decision that only the Western Cape premier candidate will be announced by national.
“As the provincial executive committee we submitted three names and the national office takes a decision and communicates.
“That decision has not been communicated by them, even to us. It was supposed to be communicated.
“Everything that is (in) the air is speculation,” Tyhalisisu said.
According to the candidate list to the Western Cape legislature, Sayed is number three.
Others topping the list are deputy provincial secretary Ayanda Bans, followed by Rachel Windvogel, Benson Ngqentsu and Pat Lekker.
The top five in the regional list to Parliament are Noluthando Makasi, David Plaatjies, Sharon Davids, Cameron Dugmore and Mathilda Bains.
Meanwhile, Tyhalisisu downplayed media reports that painted a dim view of the ANC in the Western Cape campaign for the May 29 elections.
It was reported that the province has met only 26.4% of the canvassing targets and that was consistently low across all regions.
“If I may say, though I may give up information I am not supposed to give, Khayelitsha for instance, is (the) first election team nationally to reach the 50% mark.
“I don’t want to say where those documents come from, but we have come to the bottom of that and we know that there is foul play in respect to that,” he said.
Tyhalisisu insisted that Khayelitsha, Swellendam, Hessequa and Laingsburg were among the leading local election teams nationally.
Cape Times