Agang statement: Task Team preliminary scoping report

AGANG NEC WELCOMES PRELIMINARY SCOPING REPORT

Agang’s NEC today received a preliminary scoping report of the status of Agang from the Presidential Task Team appointed by the Party Leader, Dr Mamphela Ramphele on Thursday 19th June 2014. The Terms of Reference for the task team, established last week, includes reporting on the financial status of the organisation, governance issues, state of provincial structures, staff suspensions and allegations of irregularities, polices and procedures as well as the Parliamentary Office and member communication.

Says Dr Ramphele, “As party President, together with members of the National Executive Committee, I welcomed the report to help us take stock of the issues facing the Party. The near-term issues must be addressed for the long-term future of Agang to be secured.”

Immediate issues identified by the team include the appointment of a constitution drafting committee to finalise Agang’s constitution, engagement with creditors around a payment plan in respect of some R12-million in debt, operationalising the Parliamentary office to ensure Party policies are correctly communicated as led by a policy committee, holding a Disciplinary Committee meeting to immediately address suspension issues, rebuilding the Party’s member communication database and reconstituting the NEC to include provincial structures.

The task team identified six priority areas which are being co-ordinated by Agang members on the team:

• Constitutional affairs – Philip Machanick
• NEC matters – Philip Machanick
Policies and procedures – Merle O’Brien (convenor) assisted by Rosalind Bush
Provincial structures – Mia Hugo and Boy Jacobs
Communication – Rorisang Tshabalala
Financial matters – Yunus Vollenhoven
Leadership issues – Rorisang Tshabalala

The task team will proceed into the second phase of its work by co-opting members to committees using a cascading model of ethical leadership and inviting the support of policy-making and democracy Institutes to support Agang at this critical phase of establishing its Parliamentary office to shape the new narrative for politics in South Africa. These Committees are: 

• Constitutional Drafting Committee (to be chaired by Advocate Jock McConnachie of Eastern Cape)  
Conference Co-ordinating Committee to drive the logistics and programme for provincial and national conferences 

Says Dr Ramphele, “Members have given the NEC a clear directive that it should purify and rebuild the organisation to secure its future. In the coming three weeks, the Task Team will engage Provincial Structures to enable members to shape the future of Agang in a consultative and empowering manner. The Task Team will present its final report on the state of the future of Agang on 19th July 2014.”