Confusion over ANC elective conference

The deadline for the ANC Lower South Coast Region to hold its elective conference ahead of the ANC parliamentary list and provincial list conferences is looming large.

The region has until Friday, August 31 to hold its elective regional congress but this is ‘impossible’, according to some Regional Task Team (RTT) members.

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The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) is yet to give a green light for the long-awaited conference, however some branch members have said the committee is likely to halt the plans due to the ‘tensions and risks’ that come with holding the conference.

“There are people who don’t want to unite the ANC. They want the conference to sit just so they can use it to fight their factional battles,” said one branch member.

“If the conference sits, they are likely to appeal, based on branch membership processes. If the appeal is granted they could still use this to appeal the provincial congress.”

Members also accused the region’s top brass of deliberately delaying the process until after the 2019 national elections so that they could mobilise more support for their faction.

However, some RTT members said the LSC region had made so many headlines with what appeared to be politically motivated killings that the NEC could not afford to take the risk.

“For the sake of unity the conference might take place next year,” said one.

ANC regional spokesman, Selvan Chetty said the NEC was meant to issue the go-ahead after it had concluded the audit process and finished conducting verifications.

“The NEC is likely to come back to us in the next few days. As soon as they do, we will liaise with all the branches on what will happen next,” Mr Chetty said.

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