Magashule’s faction ‘drafting court papers’ to interdict ANC Free State conference

At least two African National Congress (ANC) branches associated with former ANC secretary general, Ace Magashule, are all allegedly preparing to interdict the party’s Free State provincial conference underway outside Mangaung since Saturday morning.

ANC Free State conference

The conference, addressed by the party’s national chairperson Gwede Mantashe and provincial interim committee convener Mxolisi Dukwana, finally got off to a smooth start after clashes on Friday between some delegates and the police near the conference venue, Imvelo Safari Lodge.

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On Saturday morning and throughout the day, police assisted by ANC security, monitored and searched all vehicles going to the conference.

The pending court application to stop the conference came a day after Magashule claimed the provincial conference was unconstitutional because it did not follow the governing party’s constitutional prescripts.

He claimed there were many irregularities in the branch nomination process leading up to the conference, which will finish Sunday and be closed by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Magashule was suspended as the ANC secretary general under the party’s step-aside provision.

The step-aside rule requires that ANC members facing serious crimes including corruption, gender-based violence and murder – among others – must step aside. They were prohibited from participating in any ANC activity during the duration of the suspension.

‘Looming’ legal action

The ANC source confirmed that a faction associated with Magashule was busy drafting papers to interdict the provincial conference to stop it because they were dissatisfied to be left out of the gathering.

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ANC national executive committee (NEC) member David Mahlobo said the ANC had not received court papers with an intention to interdict the conference.

“I don’t know about any branch that has gone to court to interdict the conference. As things stand, I have not received any papers and our lawyers have not received any papers,” said Mahlobo.

Earlier, Mahlobo told journalists that disputes from party structures were received and handled by the dispute resolution committee.

“Some of the appeals were upheld, some dismissed. We are aware that there are elements who do not want this conference to proceed,” Mahlobo said.

He stressed nobody was ignored or left out of the conference processes.

Mahlobo, who is also chairperson of the ANC national steering committee, said all the five ANC regions in Free State were represented and the delegate registration process was smooth with the process 99.99% complete at about 11am Saturday.

He could not say who had qualified or shortlisted as candidates for the ANC provincial chairperson position, but the matter was being handled by the election committee.

Mantashe condemns attempts to disrupt conference

At the same time, Mantashe condemned those who attempted to disrupt the conference.

In his address, Mantashe criticised the capacity of both the Free State provincial government and the Mangaung metro for failing to deliver services to the people.

“In the Free State there is no provincial government and no local government,” Mantashe said.

He said roads were bad with potholes and it was hard to see the yellow fleet at work in the municipality because, according to the conference delegates, there was none.

“There are no roads in the townships in Mangaung. I have not come across the yellow fleet in Mangaung,” Mantashe said.

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The ANC national chair urged the delegates to elect leaders who will add value to the ANC and the country “because people want to see value after voting, otherwise, they will move on”.

The soon-to-be-elected Free State provincial executive committee must review the crisis of municipal demarcation in the province because it disadvantaged many smaller and poor municipalities, Mantashe added.

He said the clustering of nine very poor municipalities would trap them in perpetual poverty and this must change.

Mantashe further said the Mangaung metro also neglected smaller towns under its jurisdiction and this anomaly must be corrected.

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