By TSHWARO SERE
2 May 2026- As an ANC member in good standing from Greater Taung Ward 12, let me reflect on the conference of the ANC in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region that went ahead irrespective of a High Court order interdicting it.
The events of 30 April 2026 exposed a deep crisis in the ANC North West Province.
A lawful High Court order was issued — clear, unambiguous, and binding.
Yet senior ANC officials chose to defy it openly, as if the rule of law is optional in this province.
This is not an accident. This is a political culture of impunity that has taken root under the current provincial leadership.
Under this leadership, the province has become a space where:
* Court orders are treated as political suggestions
* Internal disputes are settled through force, not law
* Regional structures operate as if they are accountable to individuals, not the Constitution
* And leaders believe they can govern by decree, not by democratic process
The contempt of court we witnessed is not an isolated incident — it is a symptom of a broader provincial decay.
A TROUBLING SIGNAL FROM THE ANCYL LEADERSHIP
Wessels Morweng, the ANCYL North West Provincial Chairperson, was present at the conference and supported a process that unfolded in direct violation of a High Court order.
As an ANCYL member observing this, it raises a serious question:
What does this say about the future of the ANCYL as a preparatory school for the ANC if its own provincial leadership is associated with actions that undermine the Constitution and the authority of the courts?
The Youth League is meant to be the training ground for principled leadership —
not a space where constitutional obligations are ignored or normalised.
If the ANCYL leadership embraces or tolerates conduct that contradicts the rule of law,
what kind of leadership culture is being prepared for the ANC of tomorrow?
YOUR ADDED REFLECTION ABOUT THE PROVINCIAL CHAIRPERSON
As part of my reflection, I must also express a concern shared by many ordinary members on the ground:
that the ANC North West Provincial Chairperson, Cde Nono Maloyi, who presided over this conference despite the court interdict, and that this contributes to a growing perception that the organisation in the province is drifting away from constitutional discipline and organisational renewal.
For many of us, this raises a painful question about the direction of the movement in the North West and the kind of political culture being normalised under the current leadership environment.
THE SAME ANC THAT WATCHED JACOB ZUMA GO TO PRISON FOR CONTEMPT NOW DEFIES COURT ORDERS ITSELF
South Africans have not forgotten that the Constitutional Court imprisoned former President Jacob Zuma for contempt of court.
The message was clear:
No one — not even a former head of state — is above the law.
Yet in the North West, senior officials behaved as though they were untouchable.
If Jacob Zuma could be imprisoned for contempt, why should provincial leaders believe they can ignore a High Court order without consequences?
The law does not bend for factions.
The courts do not negotiate with political arrogance.
THE EASTERN CAPE SHOWED RESPECT FOR THE COURTS — WHY IS THE NORTH WEST DIFFERENT?
When the ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Conference was interdicted, the organisation complied.
It paused.
It respected the judiciary.
It allowed the legal process to unfold.
But in the North West, the leadership chose the opposite path:
* Defy the court
* Proceed with an unlawful conference
* Pretend that legal processes do not apply here
This is not leadership.
This is lawlessness disguised as political authority.
THE PEOPLE OF THE NORTH WEST DESERVE BETTER
The province cannot be held hostage by leaders who:
* Undermine the judiciary
* Ignore constitutional obligations
* Treat court orders as political irritations
* Drag the ANC into repeated legal crises
The contempt application is not just a legal matter — It is a defence of constitutional democracy in a province where political power has begun to overshadow the rule of law.
If the courts are ignored today, what will be ignored tomorrow?
If leaders can defy judges, what stops them from defying the people?
THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION
To every branch, every delegate, every young activist, every community member:
Stand up. Speak out. Reject leadership that treats the law as an inconvenience.
The North West cannot be rebuilt under a culture of contempt.
It cannot stabilise under leaders who believe they are untouchable.
It cannot progress while court orders are trampled for factional gain.
This province deserves accountability —
not arrogance.
Leadership —
not lawlessness.
Respect for the Constitution —
not contempt for it.
What a very sad day for the ANC and the entire membership.
(Note: Tshwaro Sere is ANC Youth League REC member in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region. The Guardian Newspaper and its Associates do not agree nor disagree with the content of this article. The views raised in the article belongs to Mr Sere and does not represent the views of The Guardian Newspaper nor its Associate)
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