Irregularities in ANC branches in NW – claims

40 branches not constituted and over 70 signatures forged, court told

IRREGULARITIES at ANC branches do not affect the regional conference, the North West High Court heard.

“The conference is attended by many branches which do not have irregularities. An irregularity at a certain branch must not affect the entire conference,” advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi told the court.

The high court is hearing a review application by former Bojanala regional secretary Tokyo Mataboge and 39 others. They are asking the court to set aside the branch general meetings of 40 branches and to nullify the Bojanala regional conference.

They alleged that at least 40 branches were not constitutionally launched and furthermore, that more than 70 signatures were forged.

Ngcukaitobi said the way in which irregularities could affect the regional conference was when a member from the affected branch was elected at the regional conference. “There are 30 members in the regional executive committee, only four are from the affected branches,” he argued, adding that the matter was prematurely brought to court as the provincial executive committee of the ANC in North West was dealing with the dispute.

“In terms of the branch guidelines, a dispute is referred to the dispute committee seven days after the branch meeting and must be signed by one-third of the people who attended the meeting…”

He said in the case of the Bojanala region’s branches, the procedure was not followed. He said there was no intent from the applicants to exhaust all internal processes of the ANC to resolve the dispute, given that they lodged the court application on August 8, while the ANC notified them that the dispute was being addressed.

Terry Motau, for the applicants, maintained that they lodged the dispute with the ANC’s national and provincial office in December, 2016 and that eight months later nothing had been done to resolve it.

Instead, organisational processes were unfolding – including branch general meetings – that led to the regional conference. “The ANC did not do what it was supposed do over a period. There is no attempt to resolve the dispute,” he said.

Motau added that the organisation had failed to discipline a member they alleged worked with opposition parties.

REGIONAL SECRETARY AND 39 OTHERS ASK HIGH COURT TO SET ASIDE THE BRANCH GENERAL MEETINGS