ANC Eastern Cape PEC will go ahead despite court challenge: Mabuyane

African National Congress (ANC) Chairperson in the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane, says they will oppose the urgent application filed by ANC members attempting to interdict the Provincial Elective Conference schedule for this weekend.

The urgent application will be heard in the East London High Court on Wednesday.

Applicants argue that the conference can’t go ahead when there are irregularities that still need to be attended to, such as convening of Branch General Meetings (BGMs) and the implementation of the step aside rule, which they believe is inconsistent.

Mabuyane was addressing the media alongside Secretary General Fikile Mbalula in East London.

He says the conference will go ahead as planned over the weekend.

During the briefing, Mbalula lashed out at those who took the party to court.

“We have got a whole conflict resolution in the party. These people who are reporting to you and who are raising disputes outside the processes don’t understand the ANC processes. They are just generating anarchy. They have been defeated and their disputes settled, so they are taking us to court – it’s frivolous. They are bringing the name of the organisation into disrepute,” says Mbalula.

Meanwhile, disgruntled party members say they have exhausted all internal party avenues to raise their concerns.

The first applicant, Lwazi Rotya, says they had no other option but to resort to the courts.

“We felt that the process was not fair in my branch; no meeting took place, but a verification report signed by the secretary general (SG) says a meeting took place in Walter Sisulu University. It is the same thing that has been happening when we were preparing for branch general meetings – no meeting took place; and the verification report again signed by the SG that says so…”

Video | ANC Eastern Cape briefs media ahead of elective conference: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdQENn86AiQ