By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former Provincial Chairperson Supra Mahumapelo has withdrawn from the chairperson’s race, claiming compromised credentials among other issues from the ANC North West 9th elective Conference.
Mahumapelo and his supporters have launched a court application to have the elective conference nullified.
His withdrawal leaves Bushy Maape and Nono Maloyi as the two candidates contesting the provincial chairperson position, after nominations concluded without incident, cutting down the number of those vying for the chairperson position from seven to only two.
There was a strong push for Maloyi not to contest the position of chairperson at this conference, with his detractors citing a 2018 culpable homicide case that the National Prosecuting Authority provisionally withdrew, as grounds for him to step aside.
For the deputy chair position, Lasi Mokgosi and Paul Sebego were nominated and accepted nominations and will be standing for election.
Economic Development MEC Kenetswe Mosenogi, who was also vying for the chairperson position, was nominated for the position of provincial secretary and will be contesting as will Louis Diremelo who also managed to receive enough voting branch delegates’ support.
The credentials were adopted despite the claims that they were rushed. The voting is expected to take place today.
The ANC meanwhile has confirmed that the disputed North West Interim Provincial Committee will not vote in the 9th provincial conference.
This follows a lawyer’s letter threatening urgent court action should voting go ahead.
The faction’s attorneys wrote to the ANC’s provincial executive committee calling on them to prevent members of the Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) from also voting at the conference.
The faction was barred from voting by the high court but said the ban applies to the IPC as well.
ANC deputy president David Mabuza has expressed gratitude to members for maturity displayed in ensuring that the party’s North West 9th provincial elective conference finally sat, after years without elected provincial leadership.
Mabuza was delivering the opening remarks at the ANC North West provincial conference in Rustenburg.
He told the more than 1,000 delegates that the level of factionalism and individual leaders’ interests have got to a point where they threaten the existence of the party.
An unprecedented number of leaders are vying at the conference for the top position to lead the province.
This, according to Mabuza, shows how deep the party has sunk into divisions.
“The ANC has faced challenges before but not the kind of challenges that are so serious to extent that it is even threatening the very own existence of our movement,” Mabuza said.
The conference finally got underway after hours of delay and legal drama that saw the interim provincial committee (IPC) stripped of voting powers.