Kimberley – The hotly contested ANC Provincial elective conference that has been scheduled to take place next week, may be thrown into disarray, if objections lodged with the dispute committee are not resolved by Tuesday next week.
The conference has been set down to take place from March 8-12 in Colesberg.
Various branches as well as the Frances Baard Regional Executive Committee (REC) have previously complained about vote rigging, the manipulation of lists, selective elimination of members in good standing and underhanded tactics employed, to ensure that ANC Provincial Secretary Zamani Saul is triumphant in securing the leadership of the party in the Province.
The REC also requested that an investigation be commissioned into the appointment of mayors, speakers and councillors in the Province, that did not receive the support of the branches.
ANC members have called for the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) to be dissolved and have urged for the provincial elective conference to be postponed.
Spokesperson for the Frances Baard REC Ali Diteme stated that they had met with the dispute committee including the provincial secretary Zamani Saul, the deputy provincial secretary Alvin Botes as well as additional PEC members Gail Parker and Patrick Mabilo, this week.
“To date, not one of the disputes lodged by the REC, have been resolved.”
Phokwane ANC member Mojalefa Sethunsha on Thursday indicated that he was aware of the possible postponement of the conference due to unresolved disputes.
“There are various reasons why the conference should be postponed.”
According to a reliable source from the national ANC office, a decision regarding the possible postponement will be made this weekend.
Provincial spokesperson Naledi Gaosekwe, however, stated that the conference was going ahead as planned at the Colesberg stadium.
“If there are any changes, we will make a full announcement.”
She confirmed that all disputes had to be resolved before the Provincial elective conference could take place.
“The dispute and audit committee are currently dealing with the complaints.”
She was confident that the disputes that were lodged by the REC and branches, would be processed “before the Provincial elective conference” takes place.
“A programme for next week is still being finalised. The conference is not only to elect the leaders. There will be commissions and policy meetings that will be taking place.”
Gaosekwe added that they were still in the process of arranging which national deployees would be attending the Provincial elective conference.
The branch meetings to elect candidates to vote in the incumbent leaders at the upcoming conference were marred by violence, including incidents of assault as well as the use of weapons such as knives and pangas.
The post for the Provincial chairperson is being contested by the Premier, Sylvia Lucas, along with Kenny Mmoiemang as her deputy, Alvin Botes as provincial secretary, Dawid Rooi as deputy secretary and Patience Tshangela as treasurer.
Vying for positions in the Saul camp are Bentley Vass for deputy chairperson, Deshi Nxganga for provincial secretary, Maruping Lekwene deputy secretary and Fufe Makatong as treasurer.
The ANC Provincial lekgotla was disrupted where ANC members clashed outside the venue where the police fired pepper spray after the two lobby groups hurled rocks at each other and members were threatened with pangas and sheep shears.
The REC is divided in their support for the two groups, while the ANC Youth League, ANC Women’s League is supporting Lucas and Cosatu is backing Saul for the Provincial chairmanship.