Pretoria - The ANC in Tshwane is likely to act against party members who embarked on a protest over disputed branch delegates during its elective conference in Johannesburg two weeks ago.
This was articulated during the first meeting of the newly-elected regional executive committee last week.
Party regional spokesperson Bafuze Yabo indicated in a media statement that the committee was mandated to initiate a process of holding to account all members who took part in the protest and “where disciplinary action is required to move swiftly and take action”.
According to the party, the behaviour of the aggrieved members, who engaged with the media outside Indaba hotel in Fourways, amounted to putting the party into disrepute.
Yabo said: “The meeting took a stern view of these developments, including members who were duly accredited delegates to the conference, who were seen participating in the pseudo-strike outside the premises of the Indaba Hotel, with some engaging the media and putting the ANC into disrepute.”
During the meeting, the new leadership was presented with a report related to the status of disputes that were submitted prior to the conference and disposed of by the regional dispute resolution committee (RDRC).
The alleged disputes were then heard at the level of the provincial dispute resolution committee and subsequently delegated back to the RDRC.
RDRC chairperson Aaron Maluleka told the meeting that no outstanding matters were awaiting the attention of the dispute resolution structure.
Yabo said: “The meeting noted that a letter threatening legal action to nullify the outcomes of the 11th ANC Regional Conference on the basis of disputed branches which participated in the conference was received by the ANC.”
According to him, the ANC’s view was that the legal letter can only be engaged once it becomes a matter before a competent court.
“The meeting also noted that many of the disputes were raised after-the-fact and missed the timelines afforded by the guidelines and seemed to have been a product of a co-ordinated effort to collapse the conference,” he said.
This was in reference to threats by members to approach the high court to nullify the conference outcomes.
Members, represented by law firm Avela Nontso Attorneys, questioned the lawfulness of the conference.
Pretoria News