By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The highly anticipated ANC North West elective conference is going ahead in Rustenburg following last-minute interventions by the office of the party’s secretary-general and the national executive committee (NEC) deployees in the North West.
The conference has been postponed several times, which forced the provincial leadership to miss the July deadline set down by the national office of the ANC, due to disputes in all four regions of the province.
Briefing the media on Friday in Rustenburg, where the conference’s accreditation processes were taking place, North West ANC interim provincial committee (IPC) spokesperson Kenny Morolong explained that, initially, the IPC needed another week to prepare for the conference.
Morolong said, the IPC’s initial resolution was to give ourselves another week for the decisions of the national dispute resolution committee to be communicated to disgruntled members and for them to digest the outcomes before we hold the conference.
“But we also sought council from the secretary-general’s office and the national executive committee deployees in the province. Remember, we don’t take ourselves to the conference, we are taken to the conference by the NEC, who said let’s go ahead. We are content that, following their counsel, things are taking shape in the province,” said Morolong.
Morolong said the branch delegates were only set to start their accreditation process in the afternoon, with no exact time as to when proceedings would eventually begin.
He also confirmed that an attempt by some delegates to prevent the IPC members from voting at the conference was pending.
ANC deputy president David Mabuza is expected to deliver the opening address.
The elective conference is expected to be highly contested, with six candidates having already indicated their intention to run for leadership.
They include former chairperson and premier Supra Mahumapelo, Premier Bushy Maape, Chauke, Nana Maloyi’s provincial task team member and Finance MEC Motlalepula Rosho, and the MEC for Economic Development, Kenetswe Mosenogi.