THE ANC Eastern Cape’s elective conference has been extended to Monday following delays due to an interdict application at the Eastern Cape by some members of the Dr WB Rubusana region to stop certain branches from taking part in the highly contested conference.
The failed court bid to interdict the Eastern Cape conference at the weekend has delayed the proceedings, leading to the extension of the conference to Monday.
ANC Provincial chairperson in the Eastern Cape Oscar Mabuyane on Sunday welcomed the court’s decision to dismiss an attempt to exclude some branches from participating in the conference.
“We are extending conference by another day. We will nominate and elect officials tomorrow [Monday]. The President [Cyril Ramaphosa] is scheduled to come and close the conference by Monday,” said Mabuyane.
“We don’t want unnecessary disputed conference. That’s why we want to clean credentials properly. It’s important not to rush things … We have done all we could that the story of the 2017 conference does not repeat. The problem is that some of us, when we are in the lobby space, we try to get into psychological warfare and like to create the wrong impressions by making allegations just when numbers are not tilling up and we refuse to be drawn into that.”
During his political report, Mabuyane said the governing party was facing “an existential crisis” and needed to renew itself and isolate corrupt elements within its ranks.
“The ANC must adapt. The ANC must renew. We must isolate alien and corrupt elements. When this done, they fight against the renewal of the ANC. We must not be timid,” said Mabuyane.
He added that the governing party was under siege while the opposition smelt blood ahead of the 2024 elections.
“We have a huge responsibility on our shoulders because our movement is under siege from opposition parties. They are smelling blood ahead of the 2024 general elections,” said Mabuyane.
“Opposition parties are not shy about campaigning to ensure there is a coalition government in the national space in 2024 and that they want a similar outcome in the KZN and Gauteng provinces.”
“A coalition government in the national space will be to the detriment of the development of our province. The leadership collective we are going to elect will have to work extra hard to campaign for a decisive ANC election victory in the national ballot.”
The outgoing chairperson blamed an escalation of divisions and factionalism for the problems within the party.
“The 52nd National Conference noted that ‘accumulated weaknesses’ include the inability to effectively deal with new tendencies arising from being a ruling party, such as social distance, patronage, careerism, corruption and abuse of power,” said Mabuyane.
“The 54th National Conference deemed that the ANC was distant, inward looking and unable to be an agent of change and connect with communities and the motive forces. It was further observed that the ANC was out of touch with constituencies and motive forces that some within the ranks of the organisation were not schooled in ANC values and goals.”
The outcome of the conference, to elect a provincial leader and executive committee, is expected to have implications for Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term as ANC president at the ANC national conference in December.
Mabuyane is contested by the public works MEC Babalo Madikizela and provincial deputy speaker Mlibo Qoboshiyane for the position of provincial chairperson.
During the opening of the conference, Mabuyane urged all delegates not to sing support songs of individuals contesting but revolutionary songs.
But his call fell on deaf ears as delegates supporting Madikizela refused to enter the conference hall, claiming that the conference hall was infiltrated by illegitimate delegates aligned to him.
The conference was opened by ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe who made a call to discipline ANC members who are involved in the manipulation ofparty processes.
He urged delegates not to be divided by the party conferences and said those who lose elections should congratulate those who have succeeded.
“Talk to one another comrades, the choices you make here will determine the ANC here and nationally. You may force factions to talk to one another. Someone will have to impose that. If you leave this conference divided then the hope to revive the ANC Nationally would be gone.,” said Mantashe.
“A factional victory is a hollow victory, let’s elect good comrades. We elect collectives but we never ask what individual attributes and contributions they bring individually. We have alot traveller’s and few people who carry the burden of leadership.”
Ramaphosa is expected to close the elective conference on Monday.
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