ANC leaders in KZN fret over election campaign delay

KWAZULU-NATAL ANC leaders are concerned time is running out for them to get on the campaign trail for the 2019 elections as they face discontent from members from four regions who recently interdicted the party’s provincial conference.

The conference, which cost R9.4 million to convene, was aborted following an urgent court application by disgruntled ANC members from four of its 11 regions to the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday, first day of the conference.

Nocawe Mafu, an ANC NEC member deployed to KwaZulu-Natal, said the cost for the conference in Empangeni included transporting delegates from across its 11 regions, accommodation, printing of documents and the hiring of the venue.

Mafu said the party’s leadership was concerned they had not started with their election campaign, and launched the election structures because they were busy arranging the aborted conference.

“We do hope that at some point the NEC will give guidance as to how we must move forward. The issue of people who have taken the ANC to court is an issue that the leadership must take a decision on how they want to handle it,” she said.

Mafu said a report had been tabled before the NEC’s officials and would be discussed in a special NEC meeting on Monday, after which the deployees to KZN would return to the province. THURSDAY JUNE 14 2018

When the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted the interdict to stop the conference last weekend, it said it should return with its replying affidavit on July 7 and the conference could be convened afterwards.

Bheki Ntuli, eThekwini regional secretary, said the ANC had the capacity to resolve its problems internally without taking the legal route.