Johannesburg - The ANC in Gauteng wanted no physical violence between members during its provincial nomination conference, secretary David Makhura said on Wednesday.
“Measures should be put into place to ensure that the nomination process is conducted in an atmosphere free from intimidation and violence,” he said in Johannesburg.
“The provincial executive committee (PEC) and regional executive committee (REC) were mandated to enforce discipline during branch general meetings so that members can exercise their democratic right... in shaping what should be the outcome of the national conference.”
Makhura was briefing reporters on a weekend provincial general council meeting where the nomination process for the province was discussed.
ANC branches, regions and provinces around the country were discussing their nominations for the ANC's top leadership positions ahead of the party's national conference in Mangaung in December.
Makhura said there would not be a police presence at the provincial conference on November 25.
Makhura outlined the timetable for the nomination process in the province.
“The PEC is not making the nomination because there is no such thing. The nominations will be made by the branches, be consolidated by the electoral commission, and be taken to the provincial nominations conference,” he said.
“The conference will then vote and at the end of that we will have what Gauteng's nomination is. Prior to that is all speculation.”
The branch meetings, which had to meet a quorum to be accepted, would take place between Thursday and October 18.
The Gauteng ANC announced at the council on Sunday that its preferred candidate for president was deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
Makhura defended the announcement, saying whether it was acceptable or not to promote the PEC's view before the nomination conference could be “debated for very long” in the ANC.
“At the beginning, they (the PEC) can express an opinion or a view, and the branches may take that view or not take that view - that is acceptable in a democracy.”
Makhura said the audit of the province's membership found that it had grown from 70,305 members in 2010, to 134,909 in September 2012. - Sapa