ANC provinces in race against time to hold conferences, contest hots up for positions

FILE Picture: Courtney Africa

FILE Picture: Courtney Africa

Published Mar 6, 2022

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The ANC is battling internal headlines to hold its provincial conferences ahead of the party’s national conference in December, with KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng likely to hold conferences in the next few months.

A source in the ANC KZN, who declined to be named, outlined the roadmap to the provincial conference and furnished Independent Media with proposed dates to be presented to the provincial executive committee (PEC).

“The proposed date for the provincial conference is July 15 to 17. In eThekwini, about 10 branches are set to host regional conferences on March 19. In the last national executive communication issued by suspended ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, he said no structure can be disbanded even out of term if it has not been reviewed by the NEC. Regions out of term of office must also be dissolved. Musa Dladla, Inkosi Bhambatha, Mzala Nxumalo and Harry Gwala must be disbanded as per NWC directive. We will await an NWC letter to issue that directive,” said the source.

ANC Gauteng spokesperson Bones Modise told Independent Media that they are likely to go to the provincial conference around June.

“Our regions are expected to convene by April and May, [and are] supposed to be used to dealing with all administrative issues pertaining to provincial conferences so that by June nothing is outstanding,” said Modise.

Lebogang Maile is said to be contesting the position of provincial chairperson with Panyaza Lesufi.

Maile told Independent Media that people must support the party.

Maile also urged ANC members to work hard if they wanted to win the 2024 elections.

“We must work hard for an ANC victory in 2024. The work has long started, we must just intensify, be consistent and at all times move with our people,” Maile said.

Last month, North-West ANC spokesperson Kenny Morolong said the provincial conference was set to take place by the end of March.

“At the moment, branches of the ANC are convening pre-branch biennial general meetings in order to allow members to verify their membership status. Following the pre-BBGM’s, branches will convene BGMs at which they will nominate delegates for provincial conference and their preferred leaders,” Morolong said.

A source, who declined to be named in the North-West ANC, said several leaders are contesting the position of provincial chairperson.

The source further said: “Those contesting to emerge as ANC chairperson in the upcoming provincial conference include (Premier Bushy) Maape and Nono Maloyi from Potchefstroom, who once chaired the province more than 10 years ago; Hlomani Chauke, who is the current interim provincial co-ordinator of the ANC in the province; and, Motlalepula Rosho, the only female to contest the male-orientated position.”

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Political Bureau