Having held two regional conferences over the weekend in eMalahleni (newly renamed to Mbuso Kubheka Region) and the Far North, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says that it is now awaiting the outcome of the branch audits from Luthuli House before announcing dates for the remaining nine regional conferences.
The party’s regional conferences have been due for well over a year, but have repeatedly been postponed due to multiple factors, including the Covid 19 restrictions on political gatherings.
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela said that they were currently awaiting a national audit report from Luthuli House on the validity of branch general meetings and once that report was released to the province, the remaining nine regional conferences would then be allowed to sit at dates to be announced by the party.
“This is the audit that gives the authorisation that a region is ready and can go ahead, but now that there is going to be the candidate registration, it could happen that they go ahead after that process, but we get the direction from there (Luthuli House),” Ntombela said.
He said that the likelihood was that by November the remaining nine regions would have held their regional conferences.
At the weekend, two regional conferences were held in the eMalahleni region in Newcastle and Ladysmith and the Far North region situated in Umkhanyakude, with the two regions having been the first to be adequately prepared to hold their conferences.
Emalahleni held its 11th regional conference where regional chairperson Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba was re-elected unopposed while deputy chairperson Phumzile Mgcina and regional secretary Chris Mhlophe also retained their positions.
Newly elected to the leadership were regional deputy secretary Vuyiswa Mzima and treasurer Ally Khoza. In the Far North Siphile Mdaka, previously the regional secretary, was elected as the new regional chairperson with Dipou Ntuli elected regional deputy chairperson, Verus Ngcamphalala elected regional secretary, Khonzani Mthembu elected to the position of deputy regional secretary and Mandla Ndlela the regional treasurer.
Political Bureau