North West: Mbalula wants regional conference probed

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has ordered an investigation into the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district municipality’s regional conference, where everything seems to have gone wrong.

Furthermore, ANC electoral guidelines seem to have been contravened at the conference held on 9 and 10 June.

Dr Kenneth Kaunda region includes areas such as Klerksdorp and Orkney in the North West.

Irregularities

Some delegates who attended the conference, held at a game reserve outside Klerksdorp complained about numerous irregularities.

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The dissatisfied members wrote to the ANC PEC and Luthuli House to intervene as conference processes were allegedly violated, including the organisation of logistics and credentials, and the rushed process.

In a letter to the ANC provincial secretary, Mbalula said complaints brought to his attention included registration and credentials that were challenged by delegates during the plenary session.

He directed the convener of ANC NEC deployee for North West, Soviet Lekganyane, to “investigate the valid, gravity and legitimacy of the complaints”.

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He asked for the process to reconvene the conference, which did not finish its business, to be put on hold until the investigation was concluded.

‘Concern fell on deaf ears’

Concerned members also said complaints raised by some delegates that the conference should not proceed because of the challenges fell on deaf ears.

Instead, the session chair allegedly accused the objectors of seeking to derail and collapse the
conference.

He allegedly promised to include the issue in the report to be submitted to the PEC, which was not necessary as the ANC guidelines were clear on what should be done in that case.

–ericn@citizen.co.za

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