In November, on the eve of the Mangaung Regional Elective Conference, Judge Suzan Boonzaaier dismissed, with costs, an urgent application brought by four unhappy ANC Mangaung members who wanted to prevent the party's regional conference.

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In her detailed 9-page judgment, Judge Boonzaaier explains how she failed to understand why the application of urgency was not brought earlier and only at a stage when the conference had already commenced.

"One cannot turn a blind eye to the concerns and unresolved disputes between the parties.

However, a regional conference like the one that was being held cannot be organised overnight. It was never canvassed at what stage or at what particular time the applicants became aware of the mentioned conference to be held.

The applicants jolted into action when it became apparent that the conference is definitely going to be held," Boonzaaier adds.

Whilst arguing their case, the group argued that 23 branches in Mangaung had issued disputes with the ANC's provincial dispute resolution committee, but only 3 of them were called by the party's upper structure - the Interim Provincial Committee (IPC).

One of the aggrieved ANC members, Fannie Lelimo, told OFM News that since the dispute resolution committee handed over the complaints to the IPC, the structure has yet to furnish the aggrieved branches with responses.

The Mangaung ANC went on to later hold a parallel conference, following deep factional battles that have troubled the party for a while now.

Each structure elected its own leaders at the two parallel conferences. The disgruntled group, which held its two-day conference at the Bon Hotel in Bloemfontein, elected the former Mangaung Metro's Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC), Patric Monyakoane, as the chairperson.

Meanwhile, the ANC's upper structure Interim Provincial Committee (IPC), led by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa's loyalist, Mxolisi Dukwana, is yet to hold a provincial elective conference.

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The party has failed to organise and hold a conference after four attempts.

However, the party spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, said in a statement that such confernce will be held in January 2023.

"The preparations towards the Provincial Conference were discussed. The IPC believes that the province was ready to hold the conference, pending the approval by the National Executive Committee (NEC).

"The meeting resolved that the Provincial Conference be held in January 2023, once the NEC gives it the nod," Khoabane said.

OFM News