ANC Branches have once again approached the Free State High Court to have the embattled IPC disbanded. This is the third time the branches of the party took the IPC to court after it failed to prepare and hold the provincial elective conference set to elect the new provincial executive committee (PEC). ANC official, Ditaba Makhutle, confirms that indeed the IPC has been served by their lawyers with court papers.

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In June 2022, the branches got the slightest victory against the upper structure of the party in the province as it was forced to compromise some of its powers.

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The party was forced to disband some of the interim regional structures, called Interim Regional Committees (IRCs), and in particular, the Mangaung IRC, which has been at loggerheads with various councillors, including the Mangaung council speaker, Stefani Lockman-Naidoo, and former Transport Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC), Patrick Monyakoane.

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The branches then later went for the second round and approached the High Court to argue that the party must be found in contempt of court but their case was dismissed.

The court case against the IPC is subsequent to the announcement by the IPC spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, that the September conference was not going to happen as previously planned. Khoabane said the new date will be set for late October once the IPC sits to review the roadmap. “As a result, we will like to convey our sincere apologies for this inconvenience. We will announce a reviewed roadmap in due course," Khoabane added.

ALSO READ: ANC Free State once again fails to hold its conference

In a court document furnished to court against the IPC, the branches say “the ANC has unlawfully, unconstitutionally and or improperly abdicated, neglected, abandoned and/or disregarded their leadership and/or oversight responsibilities, in respect of the political rights of the members (of ANC branches) in the Free State province, including the applicants, pertaining to the process leading towards participation in the ANC regional, provincial and national elective conference,”.

This happens as the party's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is set to make another visit to the Free State. Ramaphosa is expected to address another ANC’s Letsema campaign launch this coming weekend.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa returns to Free State

The ANC is yet to comment on OFM News' enquiry.

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