Eric Naki

Eric Naki

ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe is going to Northern Cape with a huge stick - to whip the fractious local structures into line and end their infighting.

Mantashe will visit the Siyanda region today in an attempt to find a solution to factional conflict and branch membership disputes.

The region was disbanded in October last year before Polokwane amid infighting over loyalties to Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki.

Mantashe's visit to the province comes after the Young Communist League's call for the current ANC provincial leadership to make way for the younger generation.

YCL provincial secretary Kabelo Mohibidu in an interview with Sowetan, said the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC), including chairman John Block and secretary Neville Mompati, must go.

Mohibidu said this would end the infighting and factionalism that had characterised their leadership over the last three terms. Both Block and Mompati are vying for the position of provincial chairman.

"There seems to be institutional infighting in Northern Cape," Mohibidu said. "We believe there should be a generational change because these leaders have contributed to the current organisational paralysis."