Court grants urgent interdict to halt #ANCKZN conference

Published Jun 8, 2018

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Pietermaritzburg - An urgent interdict was granted by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday night to postpone the African National Congress (ANC) provincial conference in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Given the allegations in the founding papers, I accept that the respondents have made out a case,” said Judge Jacqueline Henriques just after 6pm. 

“Given the requirements for an interim interdict, the applicants have made out a case for interim relief.”

The last-minute application was made by ANC members from the Harry Gwala, Lower South Coast, Moses Mabhida and Ukhahlamba regions.

African News Agency (ANA) understand that the applicants maintain the issues they have been trying to address with provincial and national leadership, such as gatekeeping and political killings, need to be confronted before the conference proceeds.

While the matter was playing out in court, ANC members were continuing with the registration process on Friday night. 

The three-day-conference was set to start on Friday at the University of Zululand.

Provincial Task Team (PTT) coordinator Sihle Zikalala was at the court to await the decision.

Zikalala was joined by ANC eThekwini Region chairperson Zandile Gumede, who is also the eThekwini mayor, and National Executive Committee (NEC) member Nocawe Mafu, who is also the convenor of deployees in KwaZulu-Natal.

At a press briefing on Thursday in Durban, provincial leaders said they were ready for the conference and confident that it would proceed.

Mafu, as a representative of the national body, said at the same press briefing: “[T]he NEC has discussed the provincial conference and there is consensus that they have met all constitutional requirements, so the conference is going ahead.”

The matter was adjourned to July 7.

African News Agency(ANA)

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