Johannesburg - African National Congress secretary general Gwede Mantashe has warned that the ruling party intends to deal swiftly with court cases once and for all ahead of the party's 54th national elective conference in December.
"We can't plan a national conference on the basis of court cases. We are planning a national conference and are working for it to be a success. Anything that distracts from it being a successes, we will deal with it," he said.
ANC presidency candidate Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma smiles during a lighter moment at the ANC's special NEC meeting. Picture: Noni Mokati
Mantashe was speaking on the sidelines of the ANC's special national executive committee meeting currently underway in Irene, near Pretoria.
The four-day conference is set to deliberate, among other things, outcomes of the recent ANC's Veterans' League Conference, the chaotic Eastern Cape elective conference which resulted in a number of injuries after party delegates hurled chairs at each other, as well as a draft organisational report which Mantashe was to present before the party's top leadership on Saturday afternoon.
A handful of provinces have approached the courts over leadership disputes.
President Jacob Zuma arrives for the ANC NEC meeting at the St George's Hotel. Picture: Noni Mokati
But Mantashe said the ANC would reign in any court processes, adding the party was winning so far.
"The justice system is there all the time. It is not a feature of the conference. If there are court cases we will deal with them. We are dealing with them. By the way I can just tell you that we are winning almost of all of them. That's why when there was judgment on the KZN one we are appealing it because we are convinced that it misinterpreted the Constitution of the ANC," he said.
And while violence remains a permanent feature with only five weeks left before the start of the conference scheduled to take place between December 16-20 in Nasarec, near Soweto, Mantashe highlighted that on the contrary, violence was not as widespread as it was in the lead-up to the last elective conference in Mangaung.
ANC NEC members Lindiwe Sisulu and Paul Mashatile at the meeting in Irene. Picture: Noni Mokati
"We have seen one picture of a delegate to a BGM (branch general meeting) in the Free State Lejweleputswa bleeding their and because that picture is published widely, it creates a picture that there is blood on the floor in all BGMs.
The majority of BGMs have gone on without violence. There will be incidents of violence particularly where security is is.brought and people are manhandled. We are dealing with those cases. That's why we have teams in the nine provinces to deal with those issues," he said.
ANC Youth League leader Collen Maine arrives for the NEC meeting which will run over four days. Picture: Noni Mokati
Commenting on wide speculation that the conference is likely to not take place following various challenges on the ground, Mantashe insisted it (the conference) is going ahead, saying and that new leadership will be elected.
Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Police Minister Fikile Mbalula hold a brief discussion before the start of the special NEC meeting. Picture: Noni Mokati
He also revealed that the party was on track with branches saying almost 60 percent were on board and that the leadership is working overtime to ensure branches complete their work and report their state of readiness as soon the next week Sunday.