Shambolic start to Gauteng ANC conference

The political fate of ANC Ekurhuleni chair Mzwandile Masina on Thursday night appeared to hang in the balance when the national executive committee (NEC) – the party’s highest decision-making organ in-between the national conference – convened a special NEC to consider the outcome of the controversial recent regional elective conference.

Masina, who has led the ANC region for the past two terms, last month faced a tough leadership contest in a battle against Nkosindiphile Doctor Xhakaza for the chairperson position – narrowly beating his opponent by 12 votes, with a crucial 19 ballots from five branches being quarantined.

So close was the challenge for Masina, that he could only obtain 163 votes against Xhakaza’s 151.

An NEC decision on the quarantined votes from wards 44, 50, 40, 108 and 106, has become fundamental in tilting the balance of political power to either Masina or Xhakaza.

Internal party tensions created by the quarantined votes, has left the conference outcome up in the air, with the ANC deploying senior party leader Jeff Radebe, to probe the outcome and come up with a recommendation to the NEC.

Amid a heightened police presence in and around The Lakes Hotel & Conference Centre in Benoni – venue for the Gauteng ANC elective conference – the much-awaited start of what was ambitiously declared a four-day gathering, could on Thursday not get off the ground as planned, with the ANC issuing a statement after midday, announcing the convening of a special NEC meeting in the evening.

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In a short statement, the ANC said it would convene a special NEC “as per the decision of the last national working committee (NWC) to process a number of organisational matters”.

With police officers stationed at The Lakes and some patrolling the area, there was no sight of acting ANC secretary-general Paul Mashatile, who was expected to officially open the conference, with journalists spending hours awaiting the delivery of accreditation tags.

The shambolic start of the conference has highlighted the numerous challenges facing the governing party – among them the situation at its West Rand region, where there has been an absence of a regional leadership, due to there not having been an ANC elective conference held.

Despite this, ANC Gauteng secretary Jacob Khawe this week said branch delegates from the West Rand would be accredited as delegates at the provincial conference, conceding that the region faced serious leadership challenges.

Against the release of the final instalment of the state capture commission report, implicating the ANC and its leaders in playing a role on aiding state capture, the Gauteng ANC conference is expected to respond to the damning findings by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

Said Zondo: “It is necessary to interrogate the role of the party in actively engaging in corrupt activities for its own gain, allowing corrupt activities to continue under its watch and failing to intervene to prevent or arrest such activities – creating the framework for corruption and state capture to flourish.

“It has been the only governing party since the advent of democracy and specifically during the years under review.

“It has been responsible for deploying people to the highest positions in the state.

“It has a significant majority in parliament, allowing it effectively to control oversight of the executive. State capture has happened under its watch.”

Several ANC leaders have been implicated by witness testimony at the commission, with some funds having been channelled to party activities.

brians@citizen.co.za