ANC elective conference postponed to September

THE much-anticipated Eastern Cape ANC provincial elective conference has been postponed to the end of next month.

Provincial ANC secretary Oscar Mabuyane confirmed that the conference, which was to be held next week, has been moved to September 27 to 30.

He cited 100 unresolved disputes and a need to allow about 100 branches who are yet to convene branch general meetings (BGMs) as the reasons to postpone the conference.

This is not the first time the provincial conference has been postponed as it was initially planned for last month.

Also contributing to the postponement was a delay in the BGM verification audit process and the availability of a conference venue in East London.

“Yes, the provincial conference of the ANC will no longer be taking place on August 31 to September 3 as initially planned but will be convened from September 27 to the 30th.

“In the main, the reasons for the postponement is delay in BGM verification process which will start only on Friday while there are about 100 pending BGMs yet to sit,” he said.

However, Mabuyane said the 70% threshold needed as the ANC constitution dictates before holding a conference had already been met but “what is important is that 70% of the verification process must be completed before conference can convene”.

Mabuyane is expected to contest the chairmanship against incumbent Phumulo Masualle.

Mabuyane said the deadline for all BGMs to convene had also been extended to August 31.

The delegation of ANC national executive committee members deployed to oversee the conference have scheduled to hear branch appeals as of Friday.

Mabuyane said the provincial working committee which resolved to postpone the conference also agreed to set a date for an extended provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting for Sunday.

“This PEC meeting will be extended to ANC public representatives, alliance components and other mass democratic movement structures and will be mostly on planning the key ANC priorities for government for the coming financial year,” Mabuyane said.—