By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC)’s Eastern Cape conference is going ahead in spite of last-minute attempts to halt it for the fifth time on Wednesday.
The meeting on Wednesday failed to sway the ANC’s treasurer-general Paul Mashatile, the organising committee and national executive committee (NEC) members deployed in the Eastern Cape to halt the upcoming conference.
This after provincial task team (PTT) coordinator, Lulama Ngcukaitobi, requested an urgent meeting to address some concerns around the state of readiness for the internal contest.
Five years ago the premium seaside establishment in the Eastern Cape was the site of a bloody brawl dubbed the “festival of chairs” where ANC members fought, literally, for power in its second-biggest province.
However the ANC in the Eastern Cape says it is all systems go for its provincial conference, which gets under way on Friday.
Former ANC Eastern Cape provincial chairperson Oscar Mabuyane says he is ready for the start of the conference to elect new leaders.
Mabuyane said ANC members have a responsibility to ensure that the conference proceeds well.
He said the provincial conference has attracted national interest and some of the ANC members behaved as if this was a national conference.
The time for the national conference will come and pass.
“We are not coming into an ANC meeting as if we are getting into a battlefield. We condemn these rapacious behaviours that we see, they are not supposed to be there. People must look forward to an ANC meeting,” said Mabuyane.
He said the ANC was a democratic organisation and people were free to elect the leaders they wanted.
People assume responsibility once they are elected into office, he said.
He urged delegates to remain calm and focus on the conference.
Mabuyane is vying for the top job in the province with former provincial treasurer Babalo Madikizela.
More than 1 500 delegates are expected to take part in the provincial conference.
The Eastern Cape is one of three of the ANC’s largest provinces and the outcomes of the provincial conference will have an impact on the national conference in December.
Mabuyane is a staunch supporter of President Cyril Ramaphosa and was one of the architects of his victory at the party’s national conference in Nasrec in 2017.
Meanwhile Sarah Baartman regional task team co-ordinator Johannes Hobbs said 82% of branches in the region had voted for Mabuyane.
“We’ve always maintained that we will wait for processes to unfold in terms of what branches [say] and 82% of branches have nominated Mabuyane.
“Sarah Baartman has always been very principled in terms of outlook for leadership. We analyse a lot of what we previously resolved in the conference and to what extent have those resolutions been implemented.
Nelson Mandela Bay and Sarah Baartman regions are expected to bring 101 delegates each.
Amathole region, where Madizikilela has a stronghold, will bring about 220 delegates.
OR Tambo, the biggest region, is expected to bring more than 300 delegates followed by Chris Hani with 222, where Mabuyane has a stronghold.