By OBAKENG MAJE
The gloves are off as aggrieved ANC members intend to interdict the ANC elective conference in North West. The party’s 9th Provincial Conference was marred with challenges and was held at Rustenburg Civic Centre last weekend.
The former North West MEC for Human Settlements, Nono Maloyi, who was pitted against his fierce rival, North West Premier, Bushy Maape, won the race and was elected as the new provincial chairperson.
Now, in the urgent court application to the North West High Court in Mafikeng that was seen by Taung DailyNews, Lebogang Medupe, who is believed to be Maape’s staunch supporter, and the other four, intend to interdict the conference.
The conference was adjourned last week before additional members could be elected due to time constraints and it will resume on 27- 28 August 2022. In the applicants’ founding affidavits, they want the conference to be declared unlawful, invalid and of no force and effect.
“Be pleased to take notice that, the applicants intend to make an application to the above Honorable Court on Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 10am or so soon thereafter as counsel may be heard for an order in the following terms.
“We call on the court to declare the conference that took place on the 12-14 August 2022 and subsequently postponed to 26 August 2022 that, it was held in violation of the ANC constitution as well as the court order of the 12 August 2022 under case UM 152/2022,” the court papers said.
He said the provincial conference, its decisions, resolutions, and outcomes were unlawful and should be set aside.
Medupe further said the ANC’s decision on 13 August 2022 to usurp the powers and functions of the ANC’s 9th Provincial Conference after the court had declared on 12 August 2022 under case number (UM 152/2022) that the term of the IPC of the North West had lapsed is in violation of the ANC constitution and is unlawful and set aside.
However, the ANC national spokesperson, Pule Mabe said during a media briefing held at ANC provincial offices in Mahikeng on Friday that, the ruling party will defend itself in court.
“The constitution of the ANC, which is the supreme law of the organisation does not make provision for the petition of conferences. So, it means that, if the National Executive Committee (NEC) applies itself to something like that, it will have first to locate where in the rules of the constitution is something like that provided for.
“The issue that we need to clarify is that those who want to interdict the conference, have contested for positions. However, if they had made it, would they have been part of those in the petition?” he asked.
Mabe further said the ANC NEC recognises the first part of the conference, so those who are elected, are the ones who will run the next installment. He added that the ANC will defend itself because they have a duty to protect its internal processes.
“We also have a duty to educate our cadres to accept the outcomes of conferences. You see, ANC is a democratic organisation, now if you agree to become part of the voluntary enterprise called ANC, it then follows that you ought to also submit yourself to the democratic processes of that voluntary enterprise,” said Mabe.
The Guardian 