How court ruling affected legitimate voters at ANC conference

A TRIO OF court decisions on Friday resulting in entire Provincial Executive Committees, a range of branches and scores of delegates being barred from voting at the ANC’s 54th elective conference; Speaker Baleka Mbete pulling out of the presidential race and the number of conference voting delegates being reduced from 5 186 to 4 776, as branches failed the ANC’s three-step verification process.

The presidential race was the main drawcard for more than 1 000 journalists at the weekend but the sideshows added to unpredictability of the crucial conference.

The party’s leaders decided to put to effect three court judgments that disqualified a number of delegates from voting, and after scrutinising delegates’ credentials, the number of voters was reduced.

The North West High Court on Friday declared the ANC Bojanala regional conference null and void. The KwaZuluNatal ANC’s provincial exec- utive committee (PEC) was effectively dissolved by an order of the Pietermaritzburg High Court and the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the ANC Free State’s provincial conference was held unlawfully.

Both the KZN and Free State are strong supporters of Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

In the North West, the party wanted the High Court in Mahikeng to rescind an August judgment that interdicted an elective conference by the Bojanala region, after disgruntled members argued that at least 40 branches were not constitutionally launched.

The court ruling followed a review application by former Bojanala regional secretary Tokyo Mataboge and 39 others seeking an order to set aside the branch general meeting of 40 branches in Bojanala and nullify the regional conference of September 24.

They also alleged that over 70 signatures at the branch meetings were forged.

The ANC North West filed an appeal against the court ruling.

In the Free State the court found that 14 branch general meetings that were supposed to take place were not held.

The court application was brought by disgruntled Free State ANC members who were unhappy about the outcomes of failed branch meetings.

Also on Friday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court granted an application for the PEC leadership to vacate office, but also granted the ANC leave to appeal against its September ruling.

In September, the same court declared null and void the 2015 provincial conference in which Sihle Zikalala was elected provincial chairman.

Friday’s ruling meant that the 27 KwaZulu-Natal PEC members attending the national conference in Johannesburg attended as branch delegates, not as PEC members, and cannot vote in the election as national office bearers of the party.

Some of the PEC members also arrived at the conferences as delegates nominated by their branches. This meant they could vote but the rest could only observe the process.