This, as the party still consolidates lists from provinces and has given them a deadline of Friday to complete all list conferences and submit names to the national committee. All political parties set to contest the 2019 general elections are expected to decide on candidates to occupy posts in both provincial and national legislatures after the elections in May. Ahead of the elections, registered political parties must submit their candidate lists to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa no later than April when ballot papers will also be drawn up. The party’s acting national spokesperson, Dakota Legoete, has stated that the provincial executive committees in the provinces are currently ratifying the results of the conferences.

This does, however, not include the North West as it was unable to hold a successful conference after it descended into chaos and one of the delegates was allegedly stabbed.

This province, together with the Free State, has been amongst the difficult provinces for the party as they have been plagued with leadership issues and some of its members were dragging it to courts.

Commotion also broke out at the Free State ANC list conference held last week at Imvelo Lodge just outside Bloemfontein. A group of disgruntled members from the Thabo Mofutsanyana region had temporarily disrupted the conference on grounds that there were BGMs that were not verified. ANC chairperson, Sam Mashinini, has, however, rubbished this and stated that the group was more concerned with the leadership and service delivery issued experienced in their region, which they will soon be attending to.

Disgruntled members in both provinces have several times called for the elective conferences to be declared null and void and its PEC disbanded.

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