Africa-Press – South-Africa. The ANC has extended its deadline to hold branch general meetings (BGMs) to nominate candidates to contest leadership positions at its elective conference to 7 November.
The national executive committee (NEC) held a special meeting on Thursday where it heard more than 1 000 branches failed to successfully convene meetings – an essential precursor to its December conference.
Only once branch meetings were concluded, would nominations for leadership be consolidated, and a sense of who would be in the running for the December conference would then be clear.
The party was meant to conclude BGMs by 25 October to ensure provincial structures had enough time to consolidate nominations.
Two sources in the NEC heard a technical issue involving the verification of branch members was behind the delay in concluding BGMs.
“We are about 60% complete. But we decided that there must be an allowance for manual scanning of members who come to meetings. So, now we are allowing manual verification of up to 10% of the branch’s membership. The rest we scan digitally through our new online membership system,” an ANC NEC insider said.
The source added the meetings were important because they allowed for the election of the delegates who would represent the branch at the elective conference in December.
The source said:
Branches are expected to nominate their preferred leaders for the ANC’s top six positions.
While the conclusion of the nomination process remains in the balance, slate consolidations and lobbying have continued to intensify.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to contest for a second term.
His slate includes Senzo Mchunu as deputy president, Gwede Mantashe as chairperson, Fikile Mbalula as secretary-general, Gwen Ramokgopa as treasurer-general and Febe Potgieter-Gqubele as deputy secretary-general.
Zweli Mkhize, contesting the ANC presidency, has also consolidated his slate.
Mkhize’s slate includes former Eastern Cape provincial chairperson Phumulo Masualle as secretary-general and Paul Mashatile as deputy president.
Other ANC leaders interested in the ANC presidency include ANC NEC members Lindiwe Sisulu and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
The final consolidated nominations list will outline whether any of these ANC members stand a chance ahead of the conference.
Nominees have to meet a certain threshold.
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