Eastern Cape ANC forges ahead with consultative conference

While the ANC at national level dillydallies about holding a national consultative conference before its policy conference this month, the Eastern Cape ANC is organising a provincial consultative conference of all alliance partners, the mass democratic movement (MDM) and civil society for Saturday and Sunday next week.

The provincial ANC’s move is in direct response to the call by the party stalwarts and veterans in the province that the consultative conference be held on time to enhance the organisation’s integrity and to resolve certain problems within the structures in the run-up to the national conference in December.

Since last year, the stalwarts at national level have suggested that Luthuli House organise a separate national consultative conference before the policy conference so as to iron out all differences and problems within the party.

The stalwarts and veterans, under the idea of ‘For the Sake of our Future’, believe the indaba could ensure that the ANC elective national conference to be held in December proceeds smoothly without power squabbles.

But some within the ANC NEC ignored the stalwarts’ call and instead suggested that two days of this month’s national policy conference be dedicated to resolving differences among members, something the stalwarts and MK Veterans Council opposed.

But the Eastern Cape, regarded by some as the cradle of South Africa’s black nationalism, with products such as Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko and Robert Sobukwe, among others, decided to lead the process.

The province is led by SACP central committee member and former politburo member Phumulo Masualle as the ANC provincial chairperson and premier. The Eastern Cape is one of the several provinces said to be free from the web of the Gupta family’s alleged state capture.

“The conference is a result of calls from veterans and stalwarts in the province on the need to enhance organisational integrity and to address issues that contribute immensely to the erosion of values and principles of the ANC. The conference will also discuss effective ways to mobilise society behind the ANC’s vision and program of action on how to rebuild confidence of our citizens,” the ANC said in a statement.

The conference, to be held at the East London city hall on Friday and Saturday, also aims to discuss the ANC’s organisational renewal and design and how to improve the party’s ability to overcome the global, domestic and intra-organisational factors.

The provincial consultative conference is expected to be attended by a wide range of a stakeholders, including a delegation from the ANC and its alliance partners, such as Cosatu, SACP and Sanco, MDM formations and progressive civil society organisations.

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