Tension as Northern Cape ANC conference kicks off

The Northern Cape ANC’s eighth provincial conference started without incident yesterday afternoon, with messages of support from the tripartite alliance partners and the South African National Civic Organisation.

ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to make a keynote address at the elective conference. Party provincial spokesperson Naledi Gaosekwe confirmed the conference had begun.

But she said reports by the executive’s three officials – acting provincial chairperson Kenny Mmoiemang, provincial secretary Zamani Saul and treasurer Sylvia Lucas – had not yet commenced by late yesterday afternoon.

The conference in Colesberg ends on Monday. It went ahead despite an attempt by some members to have it stopped.

The members, believed to be supporters of Premier Sylvia Lucas, who is also party provincial treasurer, alleged that party membership audit reports were flawed.

However, the audit reports were approved by the ANC national office.

Earlier, Saul said 17 branches had not yet convened general meetings to make the candidate nominations and could be excluded from the conference if they failed to meet the deadline.

The problem was a lack of quorum in the general meetings. Following a controversial Cabinet reshuffle by Lucas, the conference was marred by tension among members.

Lucas reshuffled her Cabinet and fired her two political opponents and replaced them with her loyalists on the eve of the party provincial conference.

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