Voting gets underway at ANC Mpumalanga conference

Voting got underway in the early hours of Saturday morning at the ANC’s Mpumalanga elective conference.

This after nominations for the provincial chairperson position and other top posts were announced.

ANC Mpumalanga convener Mandla Ndlovu was the first person to be nominated for the powerful position of chair, followed by the former provincial secretary, Lucky Ndinisa.

Both men accepted their nominations.

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Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane and former provincial executive committee (PEC) member, Peter Nyoni, failed to gather enough nominations from delegates.

Ndlovu is reportedly aligned with ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa, after he endorsed him in February for a second term ahead of the governing party’s elective conference in December.

Ndinisa is said to be close to ANC deputy president and former long-time Mpumalanga chair David Mabuza.

Urgent court interdict dismissed

On Friday, the Johannesburg High Court dismissed an urgent application to halt the conference from going ahead.

Two members of the ANC in Mpumalanga had filed papers in the high court to urgently interdict the conference in Emalahleni.

Fransisco Vilanculo and Edward Mahlangu filed their urgent application on Thursday, listing the ANC and its national executive committee (NEC), the national working committee (NWC) and the provincial task team as respondents.

In the papers, the duo argued that the NWC, which appointed the task team after the PEC was dissolved in February, had no constitutional power to do so.

However, the high court dismissed the two ANC member’s last-minute application with costs.

ANC welcomes court ruling

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe welcomed the court’s ruling, saying the party was relieved that the conference could proceed.

“This is constant with what we’ve always said, that we had placed faith on our own internal processes. We were never even worried about the case before the courts,” Mabe told Newzroom Afrika.

He said the court ruling vindicated the ANC and its internal processes.

“It actually asserts and affirms internal processes of the ANC. The conditions under which we are holding this conference, have got to do a lot with our new membership system. One of the issues that were being contested in the court of law was the authority of the NWC to disband the PEC.”

The Mpumalanga conference is two years overdue.

It was last held in December 2015, and no elections were organised when the PEC’s term expired in 2019.

The provincial ANC has been marred by public spats and factional battles that turned violent. The conference has been postponed several times before because of the internal divisions and allegations of vote rigging at branches.

Mashatile lashes out at ‘disruptors’

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile called on Mpumalanga conference delegates to isolate those who seek to “disrupt” the sitting in Emalahleni.

Mashatile, who is also acting as secretary-general, told party members to ensure that theirs becomes a good model for all upcoming conferences.

“We are calling for maximum unity, iron discipline and determination to ensure ANC in Mpumalanga emerges stronger.

“Let those who want to disrupt our conference not succeed, let those who prefer violence not be in our midst. Let’s isolate them so they face harsh consequences for their actions,” he said to loud applause.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe. Additional reporting by Getrude Makhafola

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