ANC wary of appeals ahead of Dr WB Rubusana conference
Plans to elect new ANC leaders in the Dr WB Rubusana region are under threat following resubmission of appeals for the handling of several branch general meetings.
The Daily Dispatch can reveal today that of the nine branches that lodged complaints about how the BGMs were handled, seven were resolved. BGMs are meetings where nominations of new leaders and election of delegates get discussed.
ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said six branches had resubmitted their complaints.
“At this stage I can safely say the only threat to the Rubusana conference convening this weekend are these appeals. But it is an ANC process and so we have to resolve them,” he said.
Another region that received clearance to hold an elective conference this weekend was Chris Hani in Komani.
Ngcukayitobi said Chris Hani’s election looks set to be held on Friday as “only a few very small outstanding branches are being verified”.
Chris Hani, Rubusana, OR Tambo in Mthatha and Sarah Baartman in Port Alfred all qualified to elect new leaders by the end of August. However, this depended on at least 70% of the branches in each region convening successful BGMs by last Sunday’s cut-off.
Also expected to fill vacancies in its regional executive committee is Alfred Nzo region.
Ngcukayitobi said the Mbizana-based region was ready to hold its regional general council on Saturday.
“They have met all the basic requirements.”
Pre-registration admin for the Rubusana conference was done on Tuesday.
Ngcukayitobi confirmed on Tuesday that nine Rubusana branches officially lodged disputes and seven of them were resolved.
However, “for some reason, six branches resubmitted their appeals, and that is the only threat to the BCM meeting”, he added.
Crippling these meetings are factional fights over who is to be nominated to lead, wherein those in control of the membership forms would allegedly disappear with the membership forms when they realised that their candidate would not make it.
This saw, for example, a ward 2 branch meeting in Duncan Village being adjourned at least three times.
The branch, which includes parts of Duncan Village and Toilet City, tried again to sit on Sunday, and failed again.
The branch is divided between those who want BCM mayor Xola Pakati to contest for a second term as chairman and those who want the outgoing secretary, Pumlani Mkolo, to replace Pakati.
OR Tambo region is in an even worse position, as they have not met the required 50% cut and verification of BGMs is still ongoing. “We will know once we have dealt with verification whether OR Tambo is ready for conference or not,” said Ngcukayitobi.
The only threat to the conference convening this weekend are these appeals