KZN Elective conference to be turned into consultative conference
The conference was to be held at the University of Zululand
LATEST reports indicate that the KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial elective conference will be turned into a consultative conference.
This after the Pietermaritzburg High Court halted the ANC KZN elective conference following an urgent interdict that was brought by a group of disgruntled ANC members from the Moses Mabhida region earlier this evening.
The region brought the application claiming that there was a risk of the conference being irregular because of flawed Branch General Meetings (BGMs) in the region.
The region claimed the meetings were marred by gatekeeping and sidelining of party members.
‘If these allegations are correct, and there is a risk of (this weekend’s conference) meeting being irregular, then we have to stop it,’ Hendriques said.
Judge Hendriques said there was a chance of disadvantaging people.
She said if the conference went ahead, it could exclude people and ‘risk some form of irregularity.’
‘We must stop it if this is the case,’ said Judge Hendriques.
The interim order was granted late on Friday evening.
The conference was to be held at the University of Zululand, with most delegates having already arrived.
Mixed reaction
There ruling has been met with mixed reaction.
KZN ANC Youth League chairperson Kwazi Mshengu has expressed disappointment with the court ruling that stopped the provincial conference to take place.
‘We are not happy with the decision, we had very little time to deal with the matter.
‘The judge did not even provide a chance for oral representations on the matter,’ said Mshengu.
The ANC delegation left immediately for an urgent post ruling meeting.
One of the key issues for the applicants was the exclusion of party members, the delay in addressing appeals and whether the delegates attending the conference met the 90% threshold as per ANC constitution.
Siyabonga Hlongwa, a representative from the aggrieved members said while they welcomed the decision they were sad that it had to be taken by the court.
‘This is embarrassing to the ANC because we have been raising these matters for a while but they have been ignored,’ said Hlongwa.
The matter will be back in court on July 7, for further arguments.
Meanwhile national party chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who was to deliver a keynote address, was booed as he took to the podium earlier this evening.
Supporters of former president Jacob Zuma‚ chanted ‘Wenzeni uZuma‚ wenzeni uZuma’ – which‚ loosely translated‚ means: ‘What did Zuma do?’
[BREAKING NEWS] ANC National Chair, Gwede Mantashe, is prevented from addressing the #KZNANC consultative conference by delegates who are chanting “what has Zuma done?” But Mantashe is equally determined to force his way, instructing regional leaders to speak to their delegates. pic.twitter.com/XRnf5v2Dal
— Xoli Mngambi (@XoliMngambi) June 8, 2018
Mantashe took to twitter soon after to express his views.
An ANC meeting here, is disrupted by a minority. When you speak Cde Sihle Zikalala, they stop. They have an impression that they are your faction, and they are not. #ANCKZN
— Gwede Mantashe (@GwedeMantashe1) June 8, 2018
Reports indicate that shortly after Mantashe was booed off stage the media was asked to leave the venue as the meeting became increasingly tense.
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