Durban - Problems with the ANC branch general meetings (BGMs) in which nominations for possible leaders should be made, have prompted the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) to delay the governing party’s provincial elective conference by a further week.
This means that instead of holding the conference on the weekend of July 15 to 17, the long-awaited conference will now take place a week later. The decision was confirmed by provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela yesterday, and comes after appeals from regions, including the influential eThekwini Region, for an extension to allow the branch nominations process to be completed.
“Yes, it is postponed for the next weekend, of July 22. There are branches that are still outstanding,” said Ntombela. The failure for the branches to hold meetings meant that the province did not reach the required 70% threshold required to have a properly constituted elective conference.
“EThekwini, Lower South Coast (Ugu District), and Inkosi Bhambatha (uMzinyathi District) are among the regions that are experiencing challenges with branch general meetings,” the spokesperson continued. He expressed optimism that the postponement would provide ample time for branches to hold their crucial meetings.
Yesterday’s announcement came less than three weeks after the PEC gave an assurance at a media briefing that it would meet the threshold required for the provincial conference. The BGMs are an important process that gives branches a chance to nominate any candidate they want to be part of the provincial leadership.
EThekwini region member Ntando Khuzwayo said it would have been impossible for the provincial conference to sit because many branches had not held meetings.
“I have not heard of the postponement, but can tell you now that it was going to be impossible and premature to hold the conference,” said the branch 28 member. He added that while his branch had successfully held its meeting, he understood that other branches in the region had had some challenges. It is understood that almost half of the branches in eThekwini have not held their meetings. Attempts to get comment from Regional Secretary Musa Nciki and spokesperson Mlondi Mkhize were unsuccessful.
ANC Moses Mabhida region secretary Samora Ndlovu said it had become evident that some regions could be excluded if the conference continued with the original date.
He acknowledged that given that eThekwini is the ANC’s largest region in the province, the conference could not take place without it.
“The challenge was that some regions held their elective conferences this year, and that put pressure on them to get ready for the provincial conference. We were lucky in that we held ours in December, so that gave us sufficient time to get all branches ready,” said Ndlovu.
He added that the region had at least six branches that needed to undergo the same process, so that they qualified to be part of the delegation for the provincial conference that will be held at the Olive Convention Centre.