ANC postpones Gauteng regional conferences

The ANC announced on Monday that its conferences in Gauteng scheduled to get under way this weekend have been postponed.

The ANC’s provincial and five regional conferences for Gauteng were meant to be conducted before the end of June, the party announced in May.

A total of 471 branches, having passed a membership audit, were meant to attend the conferences, and would also be electing their delegates.

Earlier on Monday afternoon, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe informed media who had gathered for feedback on the outcomes of a special national executive committee (NEC) meeting in Irene, Gauteng, that there would only be a full press conference about  on Tuesday.

He interrupted an interview being given to gathered media by secretary-general Ace Magashule, who touched on a number of key issues, including: legal concerns that motivated the postponement of Gauteng conferences; that Limpopo has been declared ready for its provincial congress; while the NEC is happy with what Magashule described as progress in KwaZulu-Natal following its leadership congress being interdicted earlier this month.

He said they were confident they would be able to resolve the impasse caused by four unhappy regions in the province.

Magashule, however, could say nothing about who will be named as the new premier of North West.

When asked about a disgruntled group of Eastern Cape ANC members who had headed to court on Monday to attempt to force the NEC to implement a recommendation from the Ndebele Appeals Panel, he said they were dealing with that matter too.

It was reported on Monday afternoon that the High Court in Johannesburg had reserved judgment on that application.

“We will await the outcome of that case,” Magashule said, adding that his party’s leaders would continue to mediate in the province in the interests of unity.

The party is also facing a challenge from ANC members of about 28 branches in the Free State who gave the ANC NEC until the end of the day to disband the Free State provincial executive committee elected last month or face yet another court challenge.

Mabe explained that due to the number of issues the NEC was dealing with as well as their complexity, discussions would be continuing.