By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Northern Cape will be the first province to hold its conference in April 22-24, ahead of the party’s crucial national general council (NGC) later in the year.
The conference will be held under theme “Year of Renewal.”
ANC in the province held a media briefing on the state of readiness for the 10th Provincial Conference.
During the media briefing, the secretary general Deshi Ngxanga said, its all systems go for its conference to be held in Kimberely.
Ngxanga said, “The party held five conferences which were incident-free, and almost 80% of leaders were elected unopposed through general consensus.
These conferences served as a strategic platform for our preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections, said Ngxanga.
The province reiterated the support for a proposal to introduce two deputy president positions at the 2027 national conference.
However Ngxanga dismissed the suggestions that provincial chairperson Zamani Saul will be vying for the deputy president position, saying it is up to the branches to decide.
Meanwhile Saul has called on party members to refrain from division, self-glorification, and focus on growing the party.
Saul emphasised the Province’s focus on rebuilding the ANC and strengthening its structures.
The Northern Cape had the smallest delegation at the 2022 National Conference, with only 239 representatives.
The province is now moving ahead with preparations for its next provincial conference, scheduled to take place in the Frances Baard region in April. This region includes Kimberley, Hartswater, Barkly West, and Warrenton.
The term of the current provincial executive committee will conclude in May 2025.
The ANC’s NGC, scheduled for mid-2025, will serve as a midterm review ahead of the 2027 national conference.
The ANC NEC issued a directive prohibiting public discussions about leadership for the 2027 conference. The party stated that premature debates destabilise structures and detract from its focus on implementing resolutions from the previous national conference.
The NEC also resolved to create a guiding framework for leadership discussions at all levels. This framework, once finalised, will regulate processes at branch, regional, provincial, and national levels.
It warned that no member should engage in leadership contestation, lobbying or self-promotion in the name of the ANC for any position in the run-up to the 2027 national conference, except within the period to be determined and announced by secretary-general Fikile Mbalula.
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