ANC wants in-depth analysis of election results

Johannesburg — The ANC in Gauteng has asked its provincial election team (PET) to do an in-depth analysis of the election results, as echoed by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba at the weekend. “The ANC Gauteng provincial executive committee [PEC] met last night in Johannesburg to receive a high-level election report,” spokesperson Nkenke Kekana said in a statement yesterday.
“The PEC tasked the PET to do an in-depth analysis and report back in one week.”

Kekana did not disclose the contents of the report.
Gigaba said at Luthuli House on Sunday that a thorough analysis of the general election would be carried out to look at voting patterns across the country.

Kekana said the party was concerned by the party’s drop in support. “A thorough analysis of the results will help us to address the concerns of voters across the province,” he said.

The PEC decided on the candidates it would send to the Gauteng legislature, National Assembly, and the National Council of Provinces. Kekana did not disclose any names. He said the party had not yet discussed the premier post in Gauteng.

“As per our conference resolution on premierships, the PEC will discuss and recommend three names to be considered by the national executive committee.”

Meanwhile, police deployed additional officers to the platinum belt yesterday to protect miners returning to work this week, a spokesperson said, as producers pushed ahead with plans to end the country’s longest and most costly strike.

The four-month strike has halted 40 percent of normal global platinum production and dented already sluggish growth in Africa’s most advanced economy.

Thulani Ngubane, police spokesperson, said police had set up park-and-ride facilities around the platinum mines to handle the arrivals.
It is unclear how many workers will be coming back but the three big platinum firms say a majority of the 70,000 strikers they have contacted directly want to end the strike. “We are prepared for any eventuality,” Ngubane said, although he said it would be difficult to provide security for the miners in the shanty towns that ring the main mines. Four miners have been killed in the area over the last three days. — AFP