Bloemfontein, Free State – Frustration boiled over among African National Congress members in Mangaung this week as hundreds converged at the Kaizer Sebothelo House, the party’s provincial headquarters, to voice opposition to the repeated delay of their regional conference.
The gathering marks the second postponement of the critical meeting. The original conference, held last month, was declared null and void after officials discovered four additional ballot papers following the regional elections. With local government elections now roughly five months away, members warn that the continued uncertainty jeopardizes the selection of candidates who will represent the party as councilors.
Protesting delegates marched to the provincial offices demanding immediate action. During the demonstration, members challenged the grounds for nullification, noting that while ANC conferences have encountered procedural difficulties in the past, the presence of extra ballots has never previously triggered a full cancellation.
“The constitution dictates that only the delegates themselves can nullify a conference,” one spokesperson for the protesting members stated. “It is wrong for an individual to make that decision alone. In this case, a single person deployed by the NEC unilaterally nullified the conference.”
Concerns about waning enthusiasm within the party’s grassroots structures were echoed throughout the protest. “The motivation of the delegates, the motivation of the branches, the motivation of the volunteers from the county is going down,” explained a branch representative. “They’re expecting that the region must sit and we have a stable region so that we can continue with our work of the elections.”
Members emphasized that local structures had diligently followed all required procedures. “All the branches reran our BGMs for candidate selection,” noted another delegate. “We did everything we needed to follow. They were supposed to allow us to have a conference on the 31st.”
In response to the protest, an ANC provincial spokesperson addressed the crowd following the adjourned proceedings. The spokesperson clarified that after the conference was paused, the province was obligated to compile a report and brief the Secretary-General. “Upon scrutiny, it was insisted that some of the requirements in terms of the guidelines must be met,” the spokesperson explained. “The process needs to be cleaned in such a way that the conference is held in line with the constitution and the guidelines, such that we avoid possibilities of litigations.”
The Provincial Working Committee has since committed to holding a meeting with regional leadership by Wednesday of this week to determine an appropriate date for the branches to reconvene. In a statement, the committee appealed for patience, reminding members that other regions across the province are also navigating demanding preparatory processes ahead of the local elections.
As discussions continue, the priority remains finalizing a constitutionally compliant conference that can proceed with candidate nominations essential for the party’s electoral preparations.