Leave the regions alone‚ Ace tells ANC provincial leaders

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule has instructed the party's provincial executive committees to stop disbanding their lower structures‚ in a move seen as an attempt to protect his allies in the provinces.

In a letter sent to all provinces of the ANC‚ Magashule said provincial leaders should desist from disbanding their regional committee‚ arguing that doing so was counterproductive to efforts to unite the party.

His letter comes after the Eastern Cape ANC axed the regional executive committees of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Joe Gqabi, subsequently replacing them with task teams.

These regions were in the control of ANC figures known to be Magashule's allies.

According to the secretary general‚ the disbandment of ANC regional structures was against unity and was diverting the party's focus on its election campaign for next year's national polls.

"It has come to the attention of the SGO [secretary-general office] that some provincial executive committees are dissolving regional structures‚" read Magashule's letter.

"The dissolution of regional structures at this time distracts from the unity project that the organisation has set for itself and could lead to more division.

"Provinces are directed to desist from dissolving regional structures and to re-install those regional structures that have been dissolved in recent weeks."

The Eastern Cape PEC has disbanded the NMB regional structure citing dysfunctional branches in the region. It further moved to do the same in Joe Gqabi.

Both regions attempted to push in favour of the slate that had Magashule heading to the 2017 Nasrec conference.