Pretoria - The ANC in Johannesburg has promised that its upcoming regional conference this weekend would not have movie scenes of infighting and violent attacks among party members similar to their neighbouring Ekurhuleni’s conference.
ANC Joburg regional task team co-ordinator, Dada Morero, made the commitment while briefing the media on their state of readiness for a conference expected to be held in Midrand from Friday until Sunday.
Morero’s comments came after the Ekurhuleni ANC’s regional conference turned into chaos after members were unhappy about the disqualification of certain branches.
In their bid to force themselves into the registration hall, some of the ANC members used chairs to attack those they accused of manipulating the conference outcomes in favour of the now controversially re-elected Mzwandile Masina.
But as for Morero, he was adamant saying “there will be no movies at our regional conference. There has always been a level of political maturity in all our regional conferences.”
“The Regional Task Team supported by PEC and NEC deployees noted that all disputes lodged with the Regional Dispute Resolution Committee (RDRC) and appeals to the Provincial Dispute Resolution Committee (PDRC) were all attended to by Saturday May 28 2022. Branches still had an opportunity to appeal the decision of the PDRC with the National Dispute Resolution Committee (NDRC) which is the final arbiter in all disputes lodged.
Branches were given 48 hours to appeal the PDRC decision and by yesterday (Monday) when the Regional Conference Preparation Committee met, there was no appeal lodged with the NDRC. We believe that even if there was to be any appeal, it will be attended before the scheduled conference,” Morero said.
He said only four branches lodged disputes and two of them have since nominated their delegates while the other is due to sit today. Another branch would sit on Wednesday.
Morero said his party would provide the necessary security at these outstanding branch general meetings. The ANC in Joburg is expecting a maximum number of 300 voting delegates pending whether the outstanding branch meeting at the two branches were not disrupted.
The ANC is expected to conduct pre-registration of qualifying delegates, guests and non-elective tomorrow until Friday.
Morero also confirmed that the two rival party slates were due to contest top leadership positions but did not rule out the possibility of a truce “to find a proper Joburg ANC leadership after the regional conference.”
Morero is leading one slate while the current ANC regional convenor and acting chairperson Eunice Mgcina also wants to be elected officially to that position.
“There are talks between different slates. The two groups are engaging each other to find a better solution of producing a better leadership of the ANC in Joburg,” Morero said.
Pretoria News