Babalo Ndenze
TIME is running out for ANC branches to hold general meetings to nominate party leaders for the Mangaung elective conference in December, with branches across the country failing to make quorums.
Factional squabbles are also delaying branch meetings, with provinces having to deal with objections and queries about numbers.
Branches have until the end of next month to finalise their nominations before the provincial general councils (PGCs) meet to consolidate nominations before Mangaung.
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza said provinces had the job of co-ordinating and monitoring all branch general meetings (BGMs) and to ensure the process went smoothly.
But he acknowledged some of the bigger branches with 1 000 members or more were struggling to get quorums.
The nomination of President Jacob Zuma in the branch of Nkandla reportedly took close to 10 hours, due to the lack of a quorum.
And the first meeting in ward 4, Ngcobo sub-region, in the Chris Hani ANC region of the Eastern Cape, had to be abandoned because of poor attendance.
Struggle
“It is expected that there may be some that struggle with quorums. For example, branches with 1 000 members will need at least 501 members to quorate,” said Khoza.
He said branches should keep trying.
“They have until the end of November before the provincial general councils.”
On Wednesday, Eastern Cape provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane attended the Dumani Chwane branch meeting in ward 4 in the Chris Hani region.
He confirmed that the meeting had struggled to achieve a quorum and had finally made up the numbers on its second attempt.
He said the branch would ask for a second term for Zuma, his deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, and secretary-general Gwede Mantashe.
“We are also getting queries and we’ve requested national to assist. Others are claiming BGMs did not quorate and others claim otherwise.
“But we’re really struggling in the urban areas because of the recent weather in Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay,” he said.
He said in the Chris Hani region about 95 percent of branches had held meetings and about 80 percent in the OR Tambo region.
“Our target is November 20 for our PGC,” said Mabuyane.
Mantashe said the party was satisfied with progress since the nominations process started earlier this month.
“We have now activated the conference electoral commission as well as the agency. Given this progress we are certain to meet all our targeted timelines as per our plans.”