Disruptions, disputes delay start of ANC’s Free State conference

The province's elective conference is expected to finally go ahead in Mangaung over the next three days after many postponements.

The province couldn't hold its provincial conference before the party’s 55th national conference in December due to the failure of regions to convene their elective conferences.

Free State and the Western Cape were the only two provinces that failed to convene their provincial conferences before the party's national conference.

The conference expects at least  900 delegates, with 667 voting delegates.

Addressing the media on Friday afternoon, ANC National executive committee deployee David Mahlobo said although the conference will be delayed, it will start by the evening.

"We have made a decision, that because of the disturbances that have happened now, the conference is going to be delayed.

“It is not going to start as we have planned. It is a necessary inconvenience because if we don't address those teething issues, we will be in a position where the credibility of the conference will be questioned.

“We convey our sincere apologies to yourselves, our delegates , including our guests that we would not have started on time and that is a full agreement by all of us who are members of the preparatory committee and the leadership of the province that we have met.

Lastly, we have taken a decision that the leadership of the province must be visible, must communicate all the time and must never be part of any effort to undermine the people of the Free State and the ANC.

“The conference will proceed when all our ducks are in a row.”

Mahlobo said some branches have been disqualified from participating in the conference, but are allowed to appeal the decision.

"Our team of the ANC members of the NEC with our record working with the leaders of the  Interim Provincial Committee in the regions, they went through the records, where you found that one branch has two different delegations, to be able to ascertain who are the legitimate one in terms of the record of the ANC that process was concluded and a determination has been made.

"Some of the branches were ultimately disqualified to say they are not the legitimate branches of the ANC.

“We are saying to them, don't go home, if you want to exhaust the ANC processes of appealing that decision, exhaust it, that is why the leadership of the ANC National Dispute Resolution Committee are here now,"

The party's national chair Gwede Mantashe is expected to deliver the opening address, while ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to close the conference on Sunday.

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