ANC branch meetings on track in N Cape

WITH deadlines looming to conclude ANC branch general meetings (BGMs) to appoint provincial delegates who will elect the new party president later this year, the Northern Cape has convened the second highest number (94 percent) of BGMs.

In a statement issued yesterday, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said that a total of 5 240 delegates would be participating in the national elective conference in Gauteng from December 16 to 20.

“Provinces are expected to complete this process by the deadline of Wednesday (today). We noted challenges of convening BGMs during the week and have agreed to a grace period, to at the very latest, until Sunday to complete all BGMs. This is done to allow sufficient time to consider appeals, all of which must be lodged within 48 hours of the disputed BGM and to prepare for the provincial general councils.”

Mantashe added that 70 percent of branches across the country had convened their BGMs as of November 13.

Mantashe said that Mpumalanga had convened 95.7 percent of its BGMs, followed by the Northern Cape (94 percent), the Free State (87.6 percent), Gauteng (76 percent), Limpopo (73.8 percent) and the Western Cape (66.3 percent).

KwaZulu-Natal recorded the lowest percentage (40.8 percent), with the North West at 54.3 percent and the Eastern Cape at 56 percent.

Mantashe stated that dispute teams, comprised of National Executive Committee (NEC) members, had been sent to all provinces.

He added that only audited members in good standing would be elected as voting delegates.

“Serious allegations were also made of a premeditated plan to collapse the conference. The NEC is unequivocal on the need to ensure that all incidents that took place will be investigated expeditiously. This includes identifying those responsible for inciting violence. The NEC condemns the use of violence as a means to win any nomination or election at all costs.”

Mantashe also called on government to reject the cost-sharing model proposal to fund tertiary education through government guaranteed loans from commercial banks. Under this model, students will begin paying off their loans once they become employed and earn a certain income threshold.

He believed that this model would place students in further debt.

“The ANC will further study the comprehensive report and engage government on how practically and urgently we advance the attainment of fee-free higher education for the working class and the poor.”