ANC branches to nominate leaders

ANC branches in KwaZulu-Natal are expected to start their branch general meetings (BGMs) this weekend and begin the vital process of nominating the next party leader, and selecting delegates who will represent them at the national elective conference.

An audit process was carried out by secretary-general Gwede Mantashe to determine the number of branches in good standing and KZN will send 870 delegates from 11 regions to represent the province in December.

Party provincial secretary Super Zuma yesterday said the delegate numbers were based on the number of members at a branch – 100 members is equal to one delegate, and for every additional 250 members, the branch is allocated one additional delegate.

Zuma would not divulge how many branches did not qualify “as the province is in the process of notifying the regional leaders”.

Zuma said branches with a membership of less than 100 did not qualify to run BGMs and this includes branches whose term of leadership had expired.

“Branches that have more than 100 members but whose term of office have expired will have to elect branch leadership so that they become branches in good standing before they run BGMs,” he explained.

Zuma said the party did not expect any challenges, saying it will appoint teams to assess the processes.

“We are training leaders who will be deployed to run the BGMs, we are also training our branch leaders and members so that they understand the guidelines and what is expected of them,” said Zuma.

Zuma said a directive from the national office gave branches until the end of the month to hold meetings.

Political analyst Lukhona Mnguni said the BGMs were likely to be tense due to serious and personal differences.

He said the possibility of manipulation existed as secretaries of branches, who convene meetings, could exclude some branch members by not giving them fair notice of the sitting of the meeting.

“If they feel that their faction could make up the quorum of the branch, they could informally disseminate the date of the meeting to their faction first so that they can be ready to attend the meeting and then give the other members the shortest acceptable amount of time allowed for notice of the meeting,” Mnguni said.