Give ANC 108 VVIP tags to stalwarts, not comrades girlfriends

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Kimberley - A senior ANC member in KwaZulu-Natal has cautioned the party not to accord VVIP status to people who don't even vote for the party, while ignoring their own stalwarts at their birthday bash in Kimberley on Saturday. Bishop Vusi Dube, who is an ANC member of the KZN legislature (MPL) and the founder of the prominent eThekwini Community Church in Durban, took to Facebook on Friday to raise his ire and disdain against the growing practice. Dube's stance is not new as he has in the past spoken against having V/VVIP tags during ANC events, saying it divides the party along social class lines. "(I) hope VVIP accreditations won't be given to girlfriends who are there for selfies. Who don't even know what door to door is. Our ANC is our legacy of hope," Dube wrote on Facebook.

When he was pressed for comment, Dube told Independent Media that his gripe with giving VVIP tags to the wrong people is that respected stalwarts of the party ended up not having access to their deserved seats.

"We sometimes find ourselves having to negotiate with security personnel to let our stalwarts in. Sometimes the security people block them because they don't even know who they are and their role during the struggle. This happens while tags that should have been given to them are given girlfriends of certain comrades," Dube claimed.

Asked whether he has raised the matter internally, he said he has done so and he still wants more debate about the matter.

"Some of the people don't even campaign and vote for us yet they hog spaces reserved for stalwarts. We have to deal with this before it gets out of hand."

The birthday rally of the party will be held at Tafel Lager Park which has the capacity to accommodate 11 000 people.

Political Bureau