By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The ANC’s special national executive committee (NEC) has tasked the provincial executive at the conference to deal with the disputed Ekurhuleni and Tshwane conferences.
The NEC meeting has given the green light for the party’s Gauteng elective conference to go ahead.
Panyaza Lesufi will go head-to-head with Lebogang Maile for the top spot at the province’s 14th elective conference.
Delegates and officials have arrived but the conference which was scheduled to start early in the morning hasn’t started yet.
Outgoing secretary Jacob Khawe said the PEC had been instructed by the national executive committee (NEC) to resolve the matter ahead of the conference.
“The PEC was in session to resolve the issue of quarantined branches of Ekurhuleni after being instructed by the NEC last night.”
Khawe said the PEC has decided to allow the five branches from Ekurhuleni Region to participate in the conference, with the provincial chairperson going to start with the political report.
The Ekurhuleni regional conference was marred by violence and at its contentious ending, which saw only preliminary results being announced, the steering committee overseeing the Ekurhuleni conference quarantined 19 votes, pending a verification process.
The 19 votes, from six branches, were quarantined due to alleged irregularities in how the delegates were allowed to vote, which meant the party could only declare the results after the national dispute resolution committee verified the outstanding votes.
Former Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina received 163 votes, compared to the 151 received by Doctor Xhakza.
Masina’s slate won all five top positions.
Re-elected provincial secretary Thembinkosi Nciza got the most votes, with 170, compared to the 124 of the ANC Women’s League leader in the region Nokuthula Xaba.
The outstanding disputes threaten to derail the ongoing Gauteng elective conference, which is sitting over the weekend and is set to elect new leaders.
Bandile Masuku, outgoing PEC member, said they were expecting a successful, peaceful conference he said he hoped they were going to devise policies and resolutions to take the province toward and win the elections.
Masuku said he was available after being nominated to the position of treasurer.
In the slate of Lesufi, his backers nominated Nomantu Nkomo Ralehoko as deputy chairperson, Thulani Kunene for secretary, Nomathemba Mokgethi for deputy secretary and Masuku for treasurer.
There are 1 033 delegates from the branches, 105 delegates from the leadership structure of the ANC PEC, the leagues and the regions.