Accommodation ‘appropriation’ puts brakes on ANC WC conference

The opening of the much-awaited 9th African National Congress (ANC) Western Cape conference was marred by a rather unpleasant accommodation dilemma when hotel rooms meant for delegates were occupied by “friends of delegates”.

But wait, there’s more… The conference – the first in eight years – was set down to start once the registration of the 700 delegates was out of the way.

ALSO READ: ANC Western Cape elective conference to kick off in Cape Town

ANC Western Cape conference: Delays and hotel snafu

Noon came and went with members of the media the only ones present in the conference hall.

According to TimesLIVE, delegates only arrived at the venue just before 9pm for dinner before proceeding to the conference hall around 10pm for the expected start of the programme.

After about 20 minutes of singing, provincial convenor Lerumo Kalako dropped the bombshell that some delegates didn’t have accommodation as their hotel rooms were unfortunately occupied by the so-called “friends of delegates”.

‘Take everyone in the room down’ – ANC provincial convener

“Comrades are sitting in hotels. The problem they are creating is that some of them are friends of delegates,” the convener said.

Those affected by the “friends of delegates” making themselves at home in their booked hotel rooms, were apparently voting delegates from the Boland and Overberg.

Kalako urged regional secretaries to accompany him to the hotel rooms “and take everybody in the room down and sort them out with hotel staff,” the publication reported.

The provincial convener’s plan of action was met with some delegates smugly waving the keys to their hotel rooms.

In light of delegates arriving late due to delays and the unfortunate accommodation saga, Kalako postponed the opening of the conference to Saturday morning.

Explainer: ‘Friends of delegates’

In case you wondered: In the ANC, friends of delegates are party members who are not necessarily conference delegates but hang around conference venues lobbying support for their preferred candidates.

The ANC in the Western Cape need all the friends it can get though… minus those who “appropriate” the accommodation of voting delegates.

On Wednesday this week, Provincial Parliament in the Western Cape spokesperson Nobulumko Nkondlo admitted in a media briefing that the ANC’s position in the province is currently at its weakest in more than a decade.

“The ANC will also seek to confront its internal challenges that have placed the ANC in this province in its weakest position in more than a decade, with weak structures, low membership, loss of activists and public servants that are distant from their communities,” she said. 

Who are the contenders for ANC provincial chairman?

Richard Dyantyi, the chairperson of the Section 184 committee who has come under fire recently in suspended public protector Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s bombshell “tell-all” media briefing, is one of the names in the hat for the top position of chairman.

The other contenders are ANC leader in the provincial legislature Cameron Dugmore, and senior government official Justin de Allende.

Former Hawks head Anwa Dramat is said to be the frontrunner to be the next provincial secretary.

Addressing internal discord within the party and the influence of money on politics will be some of the pressing matters up for discussion at the elective conference.

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