KwaZulu-Natal ANC leaders have packed the Pietermaritzburg High Court as arguments were heard in the application brought by disgruntled party members who want the provincial leadership of the party to be dissolved.
The applicants, represented by among others Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, are arguing that the provincial conference of the ANC held in November 2015 had not been properly convened and therefore its outcomes should be nullified.
Such outcomes include the election of the provincial leadership.
KZN Premier Willies Mchunu has arrived at the PMB High Court ahead of the start of the #ANCCourtCase @TheMercurySA pic.twitter.com/JDltljOTjY
— Bheki Mbanjwa (@Bheki_Mbanjwa) August 16, 2017
He argued that the conference should have been held in May 2016 as the last one was in May 2012. The term of office for the provincial leadership is four years.
Ngcukaitobi argued that the then provincial executive committee had no authority to convene an early conference as that can only be sanctioned by a third (30%) of the branches.
Arguing against the notion that the applicants had delayed bringing the proceedings to court, Ngcukaitobi said his clients first wanted to exhaust internal processes. They had approached the ANC national executive committee. In December 2015, President Jacob Zuma had promised to look into the matter and respond within five days, Ngukaitobi said.
"What we do not understand is why President Zuma did not fulfill his undertaking".
Adv. Tembeka Ngcukaitobi is one of the legal brains representing the applicants in the #ANCKZN court case @TheMercurySA pic.twitter.com/EZar579n4r
— Bheki Mbanjwa (@Bheki_Mbanjwa) August 16, 2017
Ngcukaitobi said his clients decided to approach the courts after the NEC inducted the provincial leadership in May 2015.
The applicants are also arguing that the election at the conference were rigged and that the conference was fraught with irregularities
The ANC top brass attending the court include provincial chairperson Sihle Zikalala, Premier Willies Mchunu, provincial secretary Super Zuma, ANC eThekwini regional chairperson Bheki Ntuli, provincial treasurer Nomusa Dube, MEC Weziwe Thusi, deputy Speaker Meshack Radebe and Mthandeni Dlungwana the regional chairperson of the Moses Mabhida region
A strong crowd of ANC members had gathered outside court in support of the current leadership. ANC leaders were expected to address the crowd later on. There were two groups present: one supporting the applicants and the other supporting the current leadership.
There was also a heavy police presence outside the court.
The case continues.