Group challenging branch meeting irregularities confident of success

Five Dr WB Rubusana region members who took to court over what they term irregularities in the branch general meetings are confident a judgment that was reserved on Friday will be in their favour.

The applicants argued in the East London high court on Friday that deceased and incarcerated members were alleged to have participated in the region’s conference and branch biennial general meetings (BBGM).

The party, its national executive committee, EC provincial task team, Rubusana regional task team and some of the regional leaders including chair Princess Faku and Antonio Carels, are listed as respondents in the matter.

Ondela Sokomani, Anelisa Songqumase, Fundiswa Sizani, Lusapho Coto and Xolani Lesose are the applicants in the matter which is before judge Avinash Govindjee.

Outside court, Songqumase said: “We are 99% sure that the judgment will be in our favour because we have a case.

“I think the court can help us in rectifying this thing and bring back the dignity of the ANC within Rubusana region.”

He said they had lost “trust in the system of the ANC, hence took matters to the court”.

“The guidelines of the ANC state what must happen in the processes of the ANC, but there are culprits in the ANC who are not doing well. The structure must be dissolved.”

Carels would not be drawn to comment.

Legal representatives on Friday made lengthy closing arguments in court.

Former health MEC Sindiswa Gomba and former BCM speaker Luleka Simon-Ndzele were some of the prominent ANC members who sat in the gallery during the hearing.