THE ANC’s Eastern Cape provincial task team leaders held an urgent meeting with the party’s national officials on Wednesday to brief them on the state of readiness for the provincial elective congress starting on Friday.
The Eastern Cape is due to kick off its conference on Friday.
In a letter issued on Tuesday, ANC Eastern Cape provincial task team coordinator Lulama Ngcukayitobi requested an urgent meeting with ANC Treasurer-General and acting Secretary-General Paul Mashatile.
The letter stated that the meeting was to clarify issues on the participation of people who had outstanding matters with the national dispute resolution committee.
This comes after the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, in East London, pronounced this week that the ANC’s Dr WB Rubusana regional conference, which was scheduled to begin on 8 April, is interdicted pending the finalisation of all internal appeals processes.
“The latest judgment once more affirms the rigorousness of the new centralised membership system and further vindicates the decision of the SGO, suspending the convening of the regional conferences pending the resolution of outstanding disputes,” the ANC said in a statement.
“The current disputes include, amongst others, allegations of membership manipulation leading to the inflation of membership numbers in certain branches. The ANC will uphold the decision of the court and cure all procedural violations as identified. We will ensure that the legitimacy of our branches is restored and protected.”
The Eastern Cape provincial conference is expected to elect a new provincial leadership, with the battle for the provincial chair position expected to be a tight contest between Premier Oscar Mabuyane, public works MEC Babalo Madikizela and deputy legislature speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane.
About 1 500 branch delegates are expected to participate in the much-anticipated conference.
The election outcome is expected to ignite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s hopes of re-election at the ANC’s December elective congress.
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