South Africa: Shenanigans Abound Ahead of ANC Conference

10 November 2022
Scrolla (Johannesburg)
By Zukile Majova

ANC bosses have resigned themselves to the very real possibility that the party's 55th National Conference could be litigated.

And there is nothing they can do about it.

There are just too many groups already unhappy with the way branches, regions and provinces conducted their elective conference.

Acting secretary Paul Mashatile told a media briefing on Wednesday that the party was investigating a video that has gone viral showing leaders of an ANC region in Limpopo flouting party regulations.

In that case the leaders were caught scanning IDs of ANC members inside a vehicle instead of doing so at the venue where the process is verifiable.

Factional groupings trying to elect their own supporters to be delegates to the elective conference next month puts the party at risk of being litigated.

In the Eastern Cape, a court has found that illegitimate branch members of Dr RW Rhubusana region were given voting status at the party's last provincial conferences.

The South Gauteng High Court has also found that the regional conference of the Josiah Gumede Region in KwaZulu-Natal was irregular because some of the branches failed to follow guidelines for holding Branch General Meetings.

This nullifies the entire regional conference and has implications for the ANC KZN conference where delegates from the Josiah Gumede Region participated.

The court is to make a ruling on this issue on Monday 14 November.

Mashatile said 85% of branches representing just over 3,000 have been audited.

"The requirement of the constitution, 70%, so we have far surpassed the 70% that was required.

"So, where I sit we are ready for the conference."

He later told SABC News that the party is anticipating that some of the delegates who feel unhappy with procedures could take the party to court.

"We work in anticipation, so it is a possibility that we may be litigated. Some who are aggrieved may want to go to court."

The 15 to 20 December conference in Nasrec in Midrand will be attended by over 4,200 voting delegates and 1,800 guests, bringing the total number of delegates to 6,000.

Read the original article on Scrolla.

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