By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Thulani Mbele.
It’s day one of the African National Congress (ANC)’s 55th national conference, which President Cyril Ramaphosa has described as a watershed moment for the organisation and the country.
He will deliver his political report on Friday and set the tone for the next five days.
The five-day elective conference, which is being held at Johannesburg’s Nasrec Expo, is expected to be a highly contested affair, with the supporters of leading candidates likely to pull in different directions on a number of issues, including on the criteria used to screen qualifying candidates.
While additional candidates could be nominated from the floor, the two candidates who have been given the green light by the party’s elections committee to enter the presidential race are the incumbent, Ramaphosa and former health minister, Zweli Mkhize.
Ramaphosa, who in the 2017 ANC national elective conference defeated now Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in the party’s presidential contest, is campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket.
On the other hand, his rival Mkhize has projected himself as a solution to both the ANC and government’s failure to implement policies meant to amongst other things, end corruption, revive the economy and solve the country’s energy crisis.
The majority of ANC branches from across the country had during their conference candidate nomination processes, endorsed Ramaphosa.
The start of Friday’s proceedings are delayed until 14:00, with hundreds of delegates still having to register.
ANC delegates from Limpopo, the Northern Cape and some from KwaZulu-Natal are part of those still to finalise their registration.
But delegates don’t appear to be too bothered, with a large group singing pro-Ramaphosa songs.
It has been confirmed that as it stands, the ANC national conference will start later than expected.
Thousands are gathering outside the Unisa, Ormonde campus to get their names on that delegates’ registration list.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said this morning the ANC registered just over 3800 delegates. This means just over 600 delegates still need to be registered. The registration process is thus almost done.
“There will be a handover report that will address the issue of the MPs who voted against the party line on Phala Phala.”
“The outgoing NEC has limitations of time and the incoming NEC will then be better suited to deliberate on the matter as the MPs themselves have strong cases on why they voted in that way,” said Mabe.
Meanwhile a large group led by suspended ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule and expelled ANC member Carl Niehaus have gathered just outside Nasrec where the ANC is hosting its national elective conference.
They say the gathering is to express dissatisfaction over the manner in which the President Cyril Ramaphosa-led ANC leadership has seemingly targeted those expressing different views.
The conference will consider additional nominations from the floor for the party’s top six positions, in preparation for Saturday morning’s vote.
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Video Courtesy of SABC.