ANC urges members to end lists protest at Luthuli House

About 100 disgruntled ANC members from various wards again descended on Luthuli House on Wednesday with placards stating their objection to some of the candidates whose names appear on the ruling party’s lists for the August 3 vote.

The members from Ward 67 and 70 sang and chanted outside the ANC offices, vowing to intensify their protest by trying to barricade Sauer Street.

But Johannesburg Metro police managed to prevent them from causing any damage to property and vehicles.

ANC spokeswoman Khusela Sangoni said the party had not departed from its position to stick with the current lists, and urged the members to raise their concerns with their relevant community structures.

“Our position has not changed on how we will deal with this. The compiling of lists was a comprehensive process. And obviously when you run an operation of that magnitude, there will be some people who are affected,” Sangoni said.

“The ANC is not in a position to change the names of people on the lists submitted to the IEC.”

Sangoni said their members’s concerns were being attended to, and relevant structures were dealing with their issues.

“We implore the members to respect the process and the outcome of the listing process.”

WATCH: ANC National List Conference marred by protest

Secretary general of the ANC, Gwede Mantashe, last week said many councilor hopefuls were left out because the party considered gender equality as being paramount in compiling the list.

Mantashe acknowledged that there were challenges with this process, and said the ANC would take action where there was evidence that the lists had been tampered with.

Mantashe also said it was everybody’s democratic right to leave the ANC and run as independent candidates if they felt unwelcome in the party.

The ANC held its Gauteng provincial election manifesto launch at a packed FNB Stadium on Saturday. - ANA