Outcry continues over ANC branch meetings

AS the ANC branch general meetings (BGMs) enter their third week, there has been an outcry by some party members in KwaZulu-Natal, one of the ANC biggest and most influential provinces, about the manipulation of membership data through gatekeeping and other methods

The concerns emanate almost exclusively from the supporters of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The looming appeals against the BGMs are a threat to the sitting of the ANC national conference in December where candidates, including front runners Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, will be battling it out in the party presidential race. Concerns raised include:

Gatekeeping This has been reported in many branches that have sat for the important meetings.

In the eThekwini Regio KwaXimba branch, Ramaphosa was only nominated by three people. Others had complained about being prevented from entering the venue as their names did not appear on the voters roll.

The same concerns have been raised in Umdoni Municipality’s Ward 8, South Coast, where members had at the weekend disrupted the BGM by confiscating a voters roll.

“Some people were kicked out of the meeting,” said an ANC member in uMlazi.

Use of firearms at BGMs Also in Ward 8, members said three men fired gunshots at aggrieved ANC members as they ran away with the voters roll, which they claimed did not include their names despite having renewed their membership in January. Some members also made claims of assault.

Simphiwe Mbhele, Ward 5 branch secretary at Tugela Ferry village, complained about “gun- toting goons” at the BGM late last week.

Presence of metro police Ramaphosa supporters have accused eThekwini metro police of bias and intimidation at some branches. SACP provincial chairperson James Ngumalo has even vowed to reject the outcome of the BGM at his Ward 4, Ntshanga, because of the metro police presence.

Similar allegation have been made in branches in uMlazi.However, metro police acting deputy head Sbonelo Mchunu justified their presence, saying they were providing security for people attending BGMs.

Misinformation about BGM dates

In Msinga, Dlamini Zuma was nominated in a BGM allegedly attended almost exclusively by her supporters. This is a common claim at branches. In Durban, Ramaphosa supporters stormed an ANC meeting, as they had suspected that a “secret” BGM was taking place.

All issues have been raised with party structures but provincial secretary-general Super Zuma has claimed that the BGMs have gone well.