Western Cape ANC postpones conference to 2023 after failing to reach branch threshold

The ANC Western Cape provincial conference that was meant to take place this week has been postponed to next year.

The ANC interim provincial committee (IPC) said branches lacked the 70% threshold required to hold a provincial elective conference.

The IPC had planned for the conference to take place at the end of the month.

“The province currently sits at a total of 267 branches to date out of a threshold of 284 – 17 branches away from the 70% threshold required to hold a provincial conference.

“The provincial conference will be held post the national conference in the first half of the coming year, after a thoroughgoing process of ensuring that all work that needs to be done in the regions gets completed and that no one is left behind,” party provincial spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said on Tuesday.

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To date, four out of six regions have reached their 70% threshold. Three regional conferences have already been held, according to Mtsweni.

Central Karoo’s conference will take place from 2 December 2022.

Regions dissolved

Earlier this year, the IPC disbanded the problematic Southern Cape and Dullah Omar regions in the Cape Town metro.

Dullah Omar, named after the late Western Cape ANC heavyweight, was plagued by infighting which culminated in decreased voter support.

Dullah Omar’s downward spiral saw its first disbandment in 2017 after a dismal performance at the 2016 local government polls.

The two regions are yet to hold conferences.

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However, Mtsweni said improvements were made after the installation of interim regional committees.

“The Southern Cape region has grown from 8 to 48 branches with a membership of over 100, 13 branches away from their 70% threshold of 61.

“Dullah Omar Region has grown to 73 branches with a membership of over 100, eight branches away from the 70% threshold of 81 from absolutely nothing when the task teams took over a few months back.”

The province has yet to pronounce its positions on new party policies and various other matters. It is not clear which of the two main ANC factions – that of President Cyril Ramaphosa or former health minister Zweli Mkhize – the province supported.

Even the party’s vocal NEC member Tony Yengeni has been unable to influence the DA-led province to follow his radical economic transformation (RET) faction. The last time the ANC was in power in the Western Cape was before 2009, after which the DA took over.

Mtsweni said the province will soon hold a provincial delegates’ meeting to consolidate policy positions ahead of the Nasrec national conference set to start on 16 December in Gauteng.

Western Cape is sending 263 branch delegates to Nasrec.

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