East London - A growing culture of intolerance among ANC members driven by a desire to assume political power for self-enrichment continue to destroy the party according to outgoing provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane.
Mabuyane was speaking to Independent Media on the sidelines of the Eastern Cape provincial elective conference taking place at East London International Convention Centre.
The conference was riddled with late registration on its day one on Thursday. The registration, which was supposed to conclude by 10pm, was only concluded on the early hours on Friday.
About 1 700 delegates, from 568 branches of the province’s 701, have converged to East London for the party’s eighth provincial conference. At stake is the contest for chairmanship position between the current provincial chairperson Phumulo Masualle and Mabuyane.
Read: More delays for ANC's Eastern Cape elective conference
Masualle was due to officially open the conference this [Friday] afternoon, however due to inexplicable delays delegates continue to wait for this start.
A contestation for position of secretary is between OR Tambo regional secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, who is under Mabuyane’s slate, and former ANC Youth League’s deputy president Andile Lungisa.
Mabuyane said the culture of self-enrichment within ANC ranks continue to destroy the party’s values and principles.
“Unfortunately many people do not see ANC as the party to serve but they see it as the party to benefit which is problem that we are facing. There is a growing intolerance among ANC ranks, which is something that is worrisome."
“People come to ANC thinking they know it yet our movement is a college, meaning therefore you continue to learn it on daily basis,” said Mabuyane.
The results of the conference are expected on Saturday morning.