I WAS dismayed after reading the article written by Kingdom Mabuza and Zukile Majova on March 24 with the heading Factions gang up against premier.

I WAS dismayed after reading the article written by Kingdom Mabuza and Zukile Majova on March 24 with the heading Factions gang up against premier.

I want to clarify fabrications in the article and put the record straight.

Firstly, the writers failed the simple journalism test of soliciting the official view of the ANC in Gauteng.

The article was highly partisan and completely ignored fundamental principles of investigative journalism to seek balanced opinions.

Secondly, the process for nomination and lobbying is part of internal democracy but there are certain practises that are unethical and prohibited in terms of the agreed set of rules for lobbying.

Consequently, the article is in transgression of rule 11.14 (f) which prohibits leaking confidential information to the media; secret interaction with journalists with the intention to get them to write stories on internal organisational issues or communicating internal decisions or processes to the media without authorisation.

Thirdly, it is wrong to say "backers of Gauteng ANC chairperson have struck a deal with a faction led by ANC Women's League president Angie Motshekga in a bid to frustrate Premier Nomvula Mokonyane's political ambitions".

We do not have "factions or backers" in the ANC. We have members who serve the ANC. In fact the ANC does not have independent groups or camps that act as kingmakers to decide on leadership, everything is decided by branches at the conference.

We are not going to a conference to decide on the fate of the Mokonyane. The conference in May is an ANC gathering, not of the provincial government.

It is in this regard that the writers have chosen to stick to rumour mongering to buttress the agenda of lobbyists.

Fourthly, it is disingenuous for the writers to speak with certainty that all the people mentioned in the article will be nominated.

We cannot even confirm whether the leaders mentioned in the article will be standing to be nominated because the sealed nominations have not been validated by the independent electoral commission. So far only few branches have submitted nominations.

At no stage does the current arrangement between deployment of the premier and the position of the chairperson create two centres of power

It cannot happen that the premier will be "relegated to a lame-duck premier".

Dumisa Ntuli, ANC Gauteng communications director,Johannesburg