ANC to assess state of regions

ANC leaders in Calata House will have a special meeting on Monday next week to finalise which regions will be able to elect new regional executive committees (RECs) this year.

The meeting is in line with an announcement made by ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule on Friday, that the deadline for regions to elect new leaders had been extended to the end of August.

Initially, the national executive committee announced that regions that were due to elect new leaders this year would have to hold those conferences before the end of July.

In the Eastern Cape, five regions, including Dr WB Rubusana in Buffalo City and OR Tambo in Mthatha, are supposed to convene elective conferences. But by Monday, only 31 of the 49 branches that qualify to send delegates to the metro’s regional conference had held branch general meetings.

Regions such as OR Tambo, Joe Gqabi and Sarah Baartman are facing similar challenges.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the provincial executive committee would hold a special meeting next Monday to assess the state of readiness and make an instruction based on ensuring that, wherever possible, the conference sits.

Of major concern for the party are preparations for the 2019 elections. The regional executives play a critical role in the nomination of candidates and so it is important to have legitimate RECs. –