An African National Congress flag. Picture: DAILY DISPATCH/PHILLIP NOTHNAGEL An ANC member in the Free State has demanded that the ruling party’s national executive committee (NEC) disband the provincial executive committee (PEC), saying it is “no longer constitutionally mandated” to represent the province. If his demands are not adhered to by October 8, Lefa Mifi, from Dewetsdorp, has threatened court action. In a letter sent to the ANC’s national communications e-mail address, Bekker Attorneys — for Lefa Mifi — says the ANC constitution makes it clear that an elective conference should take place every four years. The last provincial conference was held in May 2013. It is understood that Mifi is among the supporters of the deputy leader in the province, Thabo Manyoni, who was set to go head-to-head with Free State ANC chairperson Ace Magashule in the leadership race for the top position in the province. The attorneys say the conference should have taken place on about August 11 this year, if a 90-day grace period were included, but that this had not happened. The provincial leadership has blamed branch audits as a reason for the delay in convening the conference. However, Mifi argued that — based on a directive by the NEC that all provincial conferences take place by September 30 — there was no reasonable way in which the provincial conference could be held in a constitutional manner before that date. “It is therefore our client’s view that the current PEC is not constitutionally mandated to proceed with representing our province,” Mifi’s counsel said in the letter of demand, sent by e-mail on Friday morning. Mifi asks that the current PEC be disbanded, and that the NEC appoint a provincial task team to assist in convening the branch general meetings, scheduled to proceed by October 14 under the current PEC. If this is not done by October 8, the high court will be approached on an urgent basis to dissolve the PEC. ANC Free State spokesperson Thabo Meeko referred queries to the ANC’s national office, saying the letter was addressed to them. The ANC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 29 September 2017 – 17:19 Claudi Mailovich Source: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-09-29-ancs-nec-must-disband-free-state-executive-committee-member-says/

Court challenge to Ace NO MANDATE: PEC MAY BE UNABLE TO VOTE AT DECEMBER CONFERENCE PLOTTING. Free State Premier Ace Magashule and his executive committee failed to hold a provincial elective conference. Picture: Gallo Images 4 DlaminiZuma dealt a blow as Free State misses its registration deadline. Eric Naki The bid by Nkosazana DlaminiZuma to become the next ANC president has been dealt a severe blow with her potential voting powerhouse, Free State, now in danger of being unable to attend the party elective national conference in December. President Jacob Zuma’s Free State strongman, Ace Magashule, and his entire provincial executive committee PEC are being challenged in court for overstaying their welcome as leaders in the province. Saturday Citizen yesterday obtained a lawyer’s letter to this effect. The letter, from Bekker Attorneys, represents ANC member LS Mifi and states that the grace period by which a new provincial elective conference should have been held in the province expired on August n. In the light of the recent pronouncement by ANC secretarygeneral Gwede Mantashe that the party would not allow elective provincial conferences beyond today, Free State was out. This meant that its PEC may not have a duly authorised mandate to vote in the ANC’s December conference to pick new party leaders, including a new president. DlaminiZuma relied heavily on support from Free State, KwaZuluNatal and North West for her fortunes against her contender, Cyril Ramaphosa, at the December conference. Free State is the second DlaminiZum asupporting province to have its legitimacy questioned. Its fate came on the heels of a high court ruling declaring the 2015 KwaZuluNatal ANC conference unlawful and null and void, which implied that the province’s PEC was illegitimate and unlawfully elected. However, KwaZuluNatal ANC will appeal the ruling, which might give them leeway to remain in power while the appeal is being processed. But this may also be challenged by their opponents, who support former premier Senzo Mchunu and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Now Magashule, who has reigned in the province for a decade, is said to be panicking as he fears that he will lose power if Ramaphosa wins in December. He and his PEC are allegedly plotting to use dirty tricks to outmanoeuvre their opponents. The provincial leadership plans to hold an elective provincial conference in November in defiance of a Luthuli House decision as they fear being disbanded under Ramaphosa. As a result, they allegedly hatched a plan to control the province by unleashing state apparatus on their opponents to frustrate the Ramaphosa campaign and win branch and provincial elections at all costs. It is said the PEC realised that DlaminiZuma was likely be beaten by Ramaphosa at the poll. It is believed that Magashule is not prepared to lose control of Free State to the Ramaphosa camp. “They are sceptical of the outcomes of the national conference. “If CR [Ramaphosa] emerges, they may be dissolved and lose control of the provincial conference,” a source close to the situation said. ericn@citizen.co.za Delay as province works to ensure credible process The ANC’s Eastern Cape provincial conference got off to a slow start yesterday as efforts were made to ensure the credibility of the process. The provincial leadership was locked in a meeting with ANC national executive committee NEC member Zizi Kodwa, which according to outgoing provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane, was to ensure the cred ibility of the process. “The meeting was to make sure we adhere to the ANC constitution.” ANC provincial chairman Phumulo Masualle said although the party had done everything to ensure smooth proceedings, there would be members who would be unhappy about the processes leading up to the provincial conference. The party said it had taken precautions after what happened in KwaZuluNatal, where the results from a previous elective conference was recently annulled by a high court ruling. It wanted to prevent a similar occurrence at the Eastern Cape provincial congress. Kodwa, who was representing the ANC NEC, said the national leadership was satisfied with what the Eastern Cape had done up to this point. “This is not an elective conference but a provincial conference, election is one item on a programme. This conference must continue to restore confidence of our people to the ANC and it must inspire hope in our people.” However, delays saw the scheduled media briefing taking place four hours behind schedule. Source: Saturday Citizen (Johannesburg Edition)

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is touted by some as a potential successor to her ex-husband, Jacob Zuma — but the family ties could be a burden Her voting powerhouse, the Free State may not vote at the ANC national conference in December as it failed to elect new leadership by August 11. The bid by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to become the next ANC president has been dealt a severe blow with her potential voting powerhouse, Free State, now in danger of being unable to attend the party elective national conference in December. President Jacob Zuma’s Free State strongman, Ace Magashule, and his entire provincial executive committee (PEC) are being challenged in court for overstaying their welcome as leaders in the province. Saturday Citizen yesterday obtained a lawyer’s letter to this effect. The letter, from Bekker Attorneys, represents ANC member LS Mifi and states that the grace period by which a new provincial elective conference should have been held in the province expired on August 11. In the light of the recent pronouncement by ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe that the party would not allow elective provincial conferences beyond today, Free State was out. This meant that its PEC may not have a duly authorised mandate to vote in the ANC’s December conference to pick new party leaders, including a new president. Dlamini-Zuma relied heavily on support from Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and North West for her fortunes against her contender, Cyril Ramaphosa, at the December conference. Free State is the second Dlamini-Zuma-supporting province to have its legitimacy questioned. Its fate came on the heels of a high court ruling declaring the 2015 KwaZulu-Natal ANC conference unlawful and null and void, which implied that the province’s PEC was illegitimate and unlawfully elected. However, KwaZulu-Natal ANC will appeal the ruling, which might give them leeway to remain in power while the appeal is being processed. But this may also be challenged by their opponents, who support former premier Senzo Mchunu and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. Now Magashule, who has reigned in the province for a decade, is said to be panicking as he fears that he will lose power if Ramaphosa wins in December. He and his PEC are allegedly plotting to use dirty tricks to outmanoeuvre their opponents. The provincial leadership plans to hold an elective provincial conference in November in defiance of a Luthuli House decision as they fear being disbanded under Ramaphosa. As a result, they allegedly hatched a plan to control the province by unleashing state apparatus on their opponents to frustrate the Ramaphosa campaign and win branch and provincial elections at all costs. It is said the PEC realised that Dlamini-Zuma was likely be beaten by Ramaphosa at the poll. It is believed that Magashule is not prepared to lose control of Free State to the Ramaphosa camp. “They are sceptical of the outcomes of the national conference. “If CR [Ramaphosa] emerges, they may be dissolved and lose control of the provincial conference,” a source close to the situation said. Source: https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1672625/dlamini-zumas-presidency-bid-suffers-severe-blow/ ericn@citizen.co.za

An ANC Member in the Free State has demanded that the ANC’s National Executive Committee disband the provincial executive committee saying it is no longer constitutionally mandated to represent the province. If his demands are not adhered to by October 8, Lefa Mifi, from Dewetsdorp, has threatened court action. Interview: Lefa Mifi’s Attorney : Hanno Bekker Mention: Gwede Mantashe : ANC : Secretary General Source: Radio 702

The MKMVA and the ANCWL say they are saddened by party members dragging the party before the courts. The associations say taking the party to courts tarnishes the party’s image terribly. Radio-Int : Chairperson : MKMVA : Kebby Maphatsoe Radio-Int : Deputy President : ANCWL : Sisi Ntombela Radio-Int : Secretary : ANCYL Free State : Reagan Booysen Mention: Moerane Commission : Moroka Attorneys : Bekker Attorneys

A disgruntled ANC member in the Free State has given the party structure until the end of the week to disband the provincial executive committee‚ failing which he will approach the High Court. Lefa Mifi has sent a letter to current provincial chairperson Ace Magashule‚ calling the PEC an illegitimate structure and vowing to take legal action if the PEC has not been disbanded by Sunday‚ October 8. In a letter drafted on September 28 through Bekker Attorneys‚ Mifi states that the current term of the PEC should have lapsed on August 11. “Considering the 90-day grace period that is allowed‚ it should have been held by no later than 11 August 2017. However‚ as at the date of the writing of this letter‚ it has not yet been held‚” the letter reads. The August deadline follows three months after the PEC’s term in office expired at the end of May. Masualle supporters lose bid to interdict ANC provincial conference “Bearing in mind that the instructions came down from the NEC (national executive committee) for all provincial conferences to be concluded by 30 September 2017 and considering the required notice period that has to be given for the convening of the provincial conferences‚ there is no reasonable way in which the provincial conference can be held in a constitutional manner‚” the letter adds. On September 5‚ ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe‚ in a memo to provincial and league secretaries‚ announced that all regional and provincial congresses be held by September 30 to ensure that preparations for the upcoming December elective conference proceed smoothly. However‚ ANC Free State spokesperson Thabo Meeko said that it was not the PEC’s fault that the conference had not yet been held and therefore could not be immediately disbanded. “We were delayed because of the audit process [and] all those processes have now been completed and they are giving us the go-ahead to proceed to the provincial conference. Our resolution is that our conference must sit in November [so] we have requested national to exempt us because our term is due and we are confident that national will grant us‚” said Meeko. Application by ANC members to stop EC conference not properly enrolled‚ says court However‚ Mifi argues that the PEC’s stance on proceeding with the conference was purely delaying tactics. “To argue that the audit process caused the delay while knowing fully well that you (the PEC) had a fixed date by which the conference had to be held is in our client’s view merely an excuse to remain in power‚ despite the constitution stating otherwise‚” his lawyer’s letter states. “It is therefore our client’s view that the current PEC is not constitutionally mandated to proceed with representing our province. It is therefore our client’s request that the current PEC be disbanded and that a Provincial Task Team (PTT) be appointed by the NEC to assist in convening the branch general meetings.” ANC communications manager Khusela Sangoni said the provincial conference would go ahead as planned. Source: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2017-10-04-legal-threat-over-free-state-pec-legitimacy/

As ANC top officials on Monday faced up to a deadline to nullify the newly elected leadership in the Eastern Cape, a party member in the Free State was preparing to approach the High Court in an urgent bid to have the provincial executive committee (PEC) disbanded. R-Int : Attorney : Hanno Bekker Mention: Secretary General : ANC : Gwede Mantashe R-Int : Spokesperson : ANC Free State : Thabo Meeka

Ace Magashule, premier van die Vrystaat en ook Vrystaatse provinsiale voorsitter van die ANC. Foto: Netwerk24 Ace Magashule, premier van die Vrystaat, moet ophou om voor te gee hy is steeds die wettig verkose leier van die ANC in die Vrystaat. Sy termyn het maande gelede reeds verstryk, sê lede van die ANC. Stukke is in die Vrystaatse hooggeregshof uitgereik waarin die mandaat van Magashule as leier en sy provinsiale uitvoerende komitee (PUK) deur ANC-lede beveg word. Hulle vra dat hul aansoek volgende Woensdag aangehoor word. Intussen is regsverteenwoordigers van ander ANC-lede besig met die opstel van nog só ’n aansoek. Mncedisi Bokwa van Bloemfontein en Lonwabo Dyi van Bethulie vra die hof moet verklaar dat die hele PUK se termyn in Mei al verstryk het en dat die lede daarvan verbied moet word om hulself as lede van die PUK voor te doen. Hanno Bekker van Bekker-prokureurs het bevestig dat hy dalk al voor die einde van die week namens ANC-lede met ’n byna soortgelyke aansoek hof toe gaan waarin gevra word dat die Vrystaatse PUK moet ontbind. Hulle wil ook vra dat die ANC se nasionale uitvoerende komitee (NUK) ’n taakspan moet aanstel om die party in die Vrystaat tot sy provinsiale verkiesingskongres te lei. Bokwa en Dyi sê in hul aansoek die ooreenkoms wat twee ander ANC-lede einde verlede week met die PUK oor die datums van 1 tot 3 Desember vir die Vrystaatse ANC-verkiesingskongres aangegaan het, is ook nietig. Bokwa sê in sy hofverklaring Magashule en die “PUK” verontagsaam die ANC se grondwet. Sover dit hulle aangaan, bestaan die PUK nie meer sedert Mei vanjaar nie en het dus nie die mandaat gehad om só ’n ooreenkoms met Selake Tladi van Steynsrus en Modise Tshopo van die Lejweleputswa-streek voor die deure van die hooggeregshof aan te gaan nie. Dié ooreenkoms is deur regter Soma Naidoo ’n bevel van die hof gemaak. Bokwa sê in sy hofverklaring Magashule en die “PUK” verontagsaam die ANC se grondwet en ook die regte van ANC-lede in die provinsie. Hulle gaan skaamteloos en blatant voort om voor te gee dat hulle gemagtig is om as PUK op te tree. Alles wat hulle doen, insluitend die reël van die provinsiale kongres, word met ongeldigheid beklee en sal nietig wees, sê hy. Daniël Muller van Kramer Weihmann en Joubert is Bokwa en Dyi se prokureur. Source: https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Hof/ace-hof-toe-gevat-oor-hy-steeds-lyf-leier-hou-20171010

The fight for the heart of the ANC in the province will intensify this morning when party member Lefa Mifi approaches the court to intervene in the leadership debate. The battle lines have been drawn and those who want a new leadership say the current one should be disbanded. Mifi has called for the provincial executive committee PEC of the ANC to be disbanded by Saturday. He will file an urgent application with the Free State High Court to disband the committee, which he said had reached its sellby date in April. Through his lawyers, Bekker Attorneys, Mifi said the PEC mandate had expired. He demanded a task team be appointed to help the province prepare for its conference in eral meetings for the entire province would be held on a set date, where delegates for the December conference would be selected. The statement read: “It is of the opinion that the PEC will use its power to appoint delegates sympathetic to their preferred candidate, and not representative of the will of the people branches. This is paramount to gatekeeping.” It said it was expected the high court would grant an interim order with a return date usually three weeks upon which date the PEC must provide reasons why the interim order should not be made a final order. Despite the outcome of the court ruling, the lawyers believe that either party would lodge an appeal within 15 business days. However, ANC spokesperson Thabo Meeko it was not 1 1, I November. the PEC’s fault the conference Mifi previously sent a let Thabo Meeko did not take place therefore it ter to provincial chairperson Ace could not be instantly disbanded. Magashule, claiming the PEC was an Meeko said they were aware of Mifi’s illegitimate structure and vowing to intentions to file an urgent court applicatake legal action if the PEC had not tion against the ANC but were ready to been disbanded by Sunday October 8. oppose the application. The PEC was not disbanded, which In the past they had agreed not to led to the urgent court application. use the courts as a forum to resolve In a statement yesterday, Mifi said disputes, he said. the current term of the PEC should Meeko said during the Monday meet have lapsed on August 11. The August meeting in Parys, they vowed to continue with deadline followed three months after preparations for the elective conference the PEC’s term in office expired at the in December. end of May. “We want to follow the normal pro Mifi’s attorney, Hanno Bekker, said cesses of the ANC. We don’t encourage the reason the PEC should be disbanded our members to take us to court on by October 14 was because branch gen political issues,” he said. Source: The New Age (Free State)

Free State ANC still challenged in court Eric Naki Disgruntled members of the ANC in the Free State are adamant that the party provincial executive committee must be disbanded as it is illegitimate because its term has long expired. A member representing the group, LS Mifi, has refuted a claim by the ANC provincial spokesperson, Thabo Meeko, that he had withdrawn his application to the High Court in Bloemfontein for the PEC to be dissolved. In a statement issued by his lawyer, Hanno Bekker of Bekker Attorneys in Bloemfontein, Mifi said he was neither contemplating withdrawing his application, nor had he already done so. However, the applicant said he had agreed to use internal party process and procedure before instituting litigation. But he understood the ANC under provincial chairperson Ace Magashule had no respect for internal channels. Mifi said Magashule’s leadership style was one of crushing all reasonable and healthy dissent and criticism. “He therefore remains adamant that the court should dissolve the PEC and replace it with a provincial task team that will oversee all processes relating to all general meetings for purposes of the provincial and national conferences,” the lawyer’s letter said. “Mifi believes that the outcome of his application will ensure that the glory of the ANC is restored in the Free State and that it will be an agent of positive change.” Magashule is being challenged for the Free State leadership by Thabo Manzoni. Monnepula Ntamo, a spokesperson for Manzoni, said: “They are trying to sow uncertainty around this matter. But they know that their PEC is not legitimate.” Mifi’s lawyer last month confirmed to The Citizen the PEC was being challenged legally. In the letter to the court, he said the grace period by which a new provincial elective conference should have been held in the province expired on August 11. ANC secretarygeneral Gwede Mantashe had earlier declared the party’s national executive committee will not allow provinces to hold elective conferences after September 30, which meant the Free State PEC would not have a mandate to vote in the ANC’s December conference to pick new party leaders, including a new president. Source: The Citizen

A disgruntled member of the ANC in the Free State has gone to the High Court in Bloemfontein in a bid to have the party’s provincial executive committee disbanded. Lefa Mifi wrote to ANC provincial leader Ace Magashule calling for his provincial executive to be disbanded by October 14, claiming its term lapsed in August. Mifi’s attorney, Hanno Bekker, told The Times on Sunday: “We want to bring the application to court on an urgent basis. “If we do not file this week, we would be nullifying the urgency of the matter and therefore cannot proceed with the application. “We are worried that the current executive will use its illegitimate authority to ensure that the delegates the branches send to the ANC’s December elective conference are malleable,” added Bekker. Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal party leadership committees are also facing legal challenges. The delegates carry the mandate of the branches to the elective conference and elect ANC NEC members and the party’s top six leaders according to branch positions. Mifi is a supporter of Magashule’s deputy, Thabo Manyoni, who has since fallen out of favour with the chairman. Manyoni recently suggested that Magashule was not good enough for national party leadership. Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2017-10-16-free-state-anc-leaders-must-go/

In a bid to have the provincial executive committee of the ANC disbanded in the Free State‚ a disgruntled party member will ask the High Court in the next few days to prevent the structure from performing any duties. Lefa Mifi sent a letter to provincial chairperson Ace Magashule‚ calling for the PEC to be disbanded by October 14‚ saying it was an illegitimate structure. He said the current term of the PEC should have lapsed in August. Mifi’s attorney Hanno Bekker said on Sunday‚ “We want to bring the application on an urgent basis to court. “If we don’t file by this week‚ we would be abandoning the whole urgency matter and we cannot proceed with the application to have the PEC disbanded. “We are worried that the current PEC will use their illegitimate authority to implement delegates favourable to their candidates in the BGMs (branch general meetings)‚” added Bekker. Legal threat over Free State PEC legitimacy The ANC has faced various court challenges against the legitimacy of its structures‚ ahead of the party’s national elective conference in December where new leaders will be elected. The Eastern Cape and the KwaZulu-Natal structures are also facing legal challenges. The role of BGMs is to nominate branch delegates who will attend the December elective conference. Conference delegates will nominate and elect candidates to NEC positions and they will also discuss policy proposals which could inform government policy. On September 5‚ ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe in a memo sent to provincial and league secretaries‚ banned all regional and provincial congresses after September 30 to ensure that the upcoming December elective conference was not interrupted. ANC Free State spokesperson Thabo Meeko said last month that the provincial congress would go ahead in November‚ but after a High Court order handed down two weeks ago‚ it will now take place from December 1 to 3. Although Mantashe had clamped down on any conference taking place after September‚ the Free State was granted an exception. Mifi‚ a supporter of Magashule’s deputy‚ Thabo Manyoni‚ who fell out of favour with the chairperson‚ is seeking to disband the PEC. Manyoni was recently chastised by the province after telling journalists that he agreed with Police Minister Fikile Mbalula that Magashule may not necessarily be good for the national leadership. Mbalula rejected the ANC Youth League list of preferred candidates in June after they included Magashule for one of the party’s top six positions. Source: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2017-10-16-disgruntled-anc-member-to-apply-to-court-to-have-free-state-pec-disbanded/

Last week, ANC member Lefa Mifi approached the High Court in an urgent bid to disband the current provincial executive committee (PEC) in the Free State. Hanno Bekker, of Bekker Attorneys says they after they approached the court, they consulted with Advocate Thembeka who advised them to allow the branch general meetings to proceed, before filing their documents. This allowed them to gain evidence in their favour. By allowing the branch general meetings to proceed this weekend, we were able to obtain proof that the manner in which the PEC is acting, is in fact unconstitutional. — Hanno Bekker, Bekker Attorneys This is due to them not following the correct procedure as set out in the guidelines provided by the NEC. — Hanno Bekker, Bekker Attorneys Bekker says that they are following the internal options first, giving the PEC the right of reply. If they fail, they can state the urgency of their case and proceed with the bid.

ANC member in the Free State, Lefa Mifi approached the high court in an urgent bid to disband the current provincial executive committee representing the Free State province before Saturday the 14th October. Mifi had given the ANC National Executive Committee until October 8th to disband the provincial structure. Int: Hanno Bekker : Bekker Attorneys Mention: Gwede Mantashe : ANC : Secretary General

The illintent of rotten apples that seeks to overthrow an elected Free State provincial executive committee PEC of the ANC was defeated at the Free State High Court yesterday. The court struck the matter off the roll and ordered the applicants to exhaust all internal dispute resolution mechanisms to have their concerns addressed. Last week two members of the ANC that had gone to court to compel the party’s leadership to set a date for the delayed elective conference agreed to settle out of court after the organisation indicated that the conference, set for 0103 December, shall indeed happen. Yesterday however, ANC members Mcebisi Bokwa and Lonwabo Dyi argued that the PEG’S term to hold office expired on May 12. Another applicant, Lefa Mifi, also wanted the PEC dissolved on grounds that its leaders would impose candidates that will attend both the provincial and national elective conferences on the branches. Mifi had previously written to ANC provincial chairperson Ace Magashule demanding that the PEC be disbanded by October 14 and threatening legal action if this did not happen. However together with his clique they were made to “eat humble pie” when the court poured cold water on their case. Inside the court yard CR17 members took off their tshirts when they heard struggle songs by a group of ANC supporters that attended the proceedings approaching the court. The courtroom was packed to capacity with provincial, regional and youth formations of the ruling party in attendance and vowing to stop at nothing to defend the ANC. Talking to the media outside of court, ANC provincial secretary William Bulwane said the decision of the court to strike the applicants’ case off the roll allows the party space to go ahead with branch general meetings in preparation for the provincial elective conference as planned. Bulwane said those that brought the organisation to court can console themselves that it is not yet over as the matter can still be reinstated at a later date. However, he noted, this would be of little help as the ANC would have proceeded to have its provincial and national conferences by then. Bulwane said he is saddened by ANC members who had been given a second chance to belong to the organisation after they had joined both the EFF and Cope, who now joined the ranks of those seeking to overthrow the PEC using courts. “There is no court that can solve the problems of the ANC better than the organisation itself. We are going to defend the organisation come what may; this victory today is not about ourselves but about the organisation of our forebears. This tendency of taking the organisation to court is new and has never practised in the long history of the movement. However I’m happy today because the court taught them there is no branch of the ANC called the court:’ declared a bullish Bulwane. He warned that there are no short cuts to power in the ANC and that those who use their money to try and sway branches’ support to their factions better think again. Notable among leaders of the CR17 faction at court was the former MEG for sports and recreation, Dan Khothule. Bulwane blasted Khothule for having posted on his facebook page that the court case against the organisation is set to see sparks fly. “Dan Khothule is one of them. He posted on his facebook page that birds will sit on people today, but where is he now? His tail is now between the legs and he’s not posting on the verdict. You may have the money that we don’t know where you get it from, but if you are a VIP and are not rooted in the branches and only know them when it is conference time, you will never lead this organisation:’ he said. The second landmark ruling which paves the way for the province to hold its elective conference was attended by the provincial chairperson of the ANC youth league, Makalo Mohale as well as ANC Mangaung regional secretary Paseka Nompondo. Makalo told ANC members and supporters that the court ruling is a call to all branches of the organisation to intensify the campaign to have Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma take over the reins as President at the December elective conference and that Free State chairman Ace Magashule be elected general secretary of the oldest liberation movement on the continent. Meanwhile the leader of the South African Council of Churches SACC in the Free State, Reverend Sello Dire, said the church is worried that the ANC structures are being undermined by individuals with a zest for power through the courts. He said the church supports the call made by President Jacob Zuma and Dr. Magashule not to tamper with the unity of the organisation with unwarranted public spats and supporting factions. “These people that are taking the ANC to court are selfserving. They undermine protocols and processes of the organisation they claim to belong to. Theirs is not the love of the movement because they despise it, seeking to rule over the majority through the hand of the court,” said the man of the cloth. He added that going to the courts to fight political battles is for the benefit of the individual not the organisation, reiterating that branches of the organisation, not the courts, are the final arbiters when it comes to choosing the leadership of the party. “The ANC is unique in that power lies with the branches, anyone going to court is not grounded with the masses, otherwise why go to court if you have the backing of the branches?” he quipped. In his application Mifi, represented by Hanno Bekker Attorneys, said the PEC had outlived its official four year term of office which had expired in May. However the organisation argued that outstanding matters that are the domain of the national office of the ANC, including branch audits which were only completed in September, delayed the holding of the provincial elective conference. A planned provincial elective conference of the ANC on August 10 was eventually used as a cadres assembly after logistics related to audits prevented it from going ahead. Those taking the ANC to court believe that the 2012 ‘miracle’ of disbanding the ANC provincial leadership via court process will happen so that the Magashule leadership can go to the national conference without a credible backing. The pre2012 elective conference court cases prompted the National Executive Committee of the ANC to make a standing decision that those who take the party to court they have expelled themselves. As the movement is faced with this foreign and alien tendencies a call to put in motion the NEC resolution is more needed than ever. As the ANC scores yet another victory against disgruntled members wanting to unseat the provincial executive committee… While the NEC standing decision that those who take the ANC to court have expelled themselves is amiss… Source: The Weekly

JOHANNESBURG – The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Free State said it has “noted with disappointment” the Bloemfontein High Court ruling which found that 29 branch general meetings were unlawful and irregular. The court ruling on Wednesday read in part: “The provincial conference of ANC Free State scheduled for 1 to 3 December 2017 will be a nullity and cannot be held until the aforesaid meetings have been held in a lawful manner and in accordance with the constitution of the ANC”. Responding to the ruling, the ANCWL said it has observed signs that the party “might have been infiltrated by the fanatics of lawfare who run to courts whenever they get defeated through internal processes”. In the statement issued by Thandi Masiteng, the ANCWL Free State provincial secretary, the league added: “The lawfare fanatics and their masters might argue that their acts are justified, however, their intention is not to build a strong effective, efficient ANC, but to collapse all ANC internal processes for the benefit of the anti-transformation masters”. The ANCWL is backing former African Union Commission chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to replace President Jacob Zuma at the helm of the ANC next month. At the weekend the Free State announced that it had nominated Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred candidate, but the court ruling has thrown a spanner in the works. She was nominated at the party’s contentious Provincial General Council, which was reportedly snubbed by supporters of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, that culminated in the successful court challenge. Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma are frontrunners in the race to lead the ANC. Labelling those who sought court action as being against “radical economic transformation”, the ANCWL in the Free State said it remains “an integral part of the ANC in the province and will engage the ANC Free State leadership and make proposals on the way forward in relation to the outcome of the court”. Attorney, Hanno Bekker for the 26 ANC members who brought the case‚ pointed out that a seven-day notice was required before a branch general meeting can be held. Source: http://www.enca.com/south-africa/anc-may-be-infiltrated-by-fanatics-of-lawfare-ancwl-on-bloemfontein-court-ruling

The SABC and unions are yet to reach an agreement over wage increases. The public broadcasters’ executives were locked in meetings with shop stewards from the Broadcasting‚ Electronic‚ Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) and Communications Workers Union (CWU) on Thursday. The demand is for a 10% to 15% salary increase Bemawu’s spokesperson Hanno Bekker said on Friday: “We met the SABC yesterday where we locked into a meeting the entire day and they (SABC executives) arrived with absolutely no mandate to settle our dispute of the 0% salary increment. However‚ they proposed that they would only offer salary increases in the next financial year and the board would be reckless if they put an offer on the table for something that they don’t have and that they cannot honour.” Bekker said the mere fact the public broadcaster is committing itself to negotiations is a clear indication that it has the financial power to increase employees’ salaries. “We are then of the view that the SABC has money that they have set aside for salary increases so we then requested to revise the offer and instead of offering us (salary increases) for the next financial year. We asked them to make that offer to us formally so that we can start negotiating around that. “There is no deadline for these current negotiations because our members are still on strike and there are no consequences then what is already happening at the SABC… so it’s for them to speed up and come back to us as soon as possible‚” added Bekker. Bemawu has about 1,800 members and CWU has about 1,500. CWU members were on Thursday urged to hold their horses until an agreement is reached. CWU secretary general Aubrey Tshabalala said SABC management had requested the union to put the strike on hold because they intend reaching an agreement at the end of their two-day meeting‚ which began on Thursday. CWU and Bemawu issued the public broadcaster with 48-hour strike on Monday. “After consultation with our legal advisers‚ we then withdrew the notice to strike with an intention to address those legal technicalities and serve the company should we fail to reach an agreement on said demands. We are still calling all our members at SABC to be combat ready should negotiations fail‚” said Tshabalala on Thursday. CWU is demanding a 15% salary increase and Bemawu a 10% increase. SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that negotiations were still underway and that no agreement has been reached. He added that employees who had not reported for duty will not be paid‚ in accordance with the “no work‚ no pay” principle. Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-03-sabc-salary-increase-dispute-yet-to-reach-a-conclusion/ Image: Waldo Swiegers. (C) Sunday Times.

The SABC and unions are yet to reach an agreement over wage increases. The public broadcasters’ executives were locked in meetings with shop stewards from the Broadcasting‚ Electronic‚ Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) and Communications Workers Union (CWU) on Thursday. The demand is for a 10% to 15% salary increase Bemawu’s spokesperson Hanno Bekker said on Friday: “We met the SABC yesterday where we locked into a meeting the entire day and they (SABC executives) arrived with absolutely no mandate to settle our dispute of the 0% salary increment. However‚ they proposed that they would only offer salary increases in the next financial year and the board would be reckless if they put an offer on the table for something that they don’t have and that they cannot honour.” Bekker said the mere fact the public broadcaster is committing itself to negotiations is a clear indication that it has the financial power to increase employees’ salaries. “We are then of the view that the SABC has money that they have set aside for salary increases so we then requested to revise the offer and instead of offering us (salary increases) for the next financial year. We asked them to make that offer to us formally so that we can start negotiating around that. “There is no deadline for these current negotiations because our members are still on strike and there are no consequences then what is already happening at the SABC… so it’s for them to speed up and come back to us as soon as possible‚” added Bekker. Bemawu has about 1,800 members and CWU has about 1,500. CWU members were on Thursday urged to hold their horses until an agreement is reached. CWU secretary general Aubrey Tshabalala said SABC management had requested the union to put the strike on hold because they intend reaching an agreement at the end of their two-day meeting‚ which began on Thursday. CWU and Bemawu issued the public broadcaster with 48-hour strike on Monday. “After consultation with our legal advisers‚ we then withdrew the notice to strike with an intention to address those legal technicalities and serve the company should we fail to reach an agreement on said demands. We are still calling all our members at SABC to be combat ready should negotiations fail‚” said Tshabalala on Thursday. CWU is demanding a 15% salary increase and Bemawu a 10% increase. SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that negotiations were still underway and that no agreement has been reached. He added that employees who had not reported for duty will not be paid‚ in accordance with the “no work‚ no pay” principle. Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-03-sabc-salary-increase-dispute-yet-to-reach-a-conclusion/

Ace Magashule en Thabo Manyoni in gelukkiger tye. Magashule is die huidige ANC-voorsitter in die Vrystaat en die premier. Hy is ’n belangrike pilaar in die Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma-kamp. Manyoni, gewese burgemeester van die Mangaung-metro, veg om die nuwe voorsitter en premier in die Vrystaat te word en is in die Cyril Ramaphosa-kamp. ’n Groep ANC-lede gaan dié week ’n dringende aansoek in die hooggeregshof in Bloemfontein bring om die provinsiale verkiesingskonferensie van 1 tot 3 Desember in sy spore te stuit. Indien die aansoek slaag, kan dit adj.pres. Cyril Ramaphosa se kanse om as die ANC-leier op die nasionale konferensie van 16 tot 20 Desember verkies te word dramaties versterk. Dié aansoek kom te midde van die spanning wat in die ANC in die Vrystaat aan die opbou is. Die bloed het al gevloei op takvergaderings met nog net twee weke tyd vir ’n provinsiale konferensie om gehou te word. As die Vrystaatse ANC se afvaardiging na die nasionale konferensie in Midrand gestuit word, is ’n belangrike blok stemme vir die Zuma-kamp weg. Die deur staan dan oop vir Ramaphosa om pres. Jacob Zuma as die nuwe ANC-leier te vervang, en nie Zuma se gewese vrou, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, nie. Die aansoekers gaan ook vra dat ’n provinsiale taakspan aangestel word om die takvergaderings weer te laat plaasvind. Hanno Bekker van Hanno Bekker Prokureurs het aan Netwerk24 bevestig ’n groep van 25 Vrystaatse ANC-lede gaan die week die aansoek teen die provinsiale uitvoerende komitee van die party bring. Die gronde vir die aansoek is dat die takvergaderings wat in die Vrystaat gehou is om afgevaardigdes vir die provinsiale en die nasionale konferensies aan te wys, beknoei is en dat daar beweerde grootskaalse omkopery plaasgevind het. “Die bewering is dat die provinsiale uitvoerende komitee (PUK) as hekwagters optree. Dus tree hulle teen hul eie grondwet en mense se belange op en kan die takke vra dat die nasionale uitvoerende komitee die PUK ontbind, omdat hulle buite hul mandaat optree.” Die aansoekers gaan ook vra dat ’n provinsiale taakspan aangestel word om die takvergaderings weer te laat plaasvind. Mahlomola Ralebisi, voormalige ANC-sekretaris in die Motheo-distrik en ’n ondersteuner van Thabo Manyoni, ondervoorsitter van die ANC in die Vrystaat wat mik om die nuwe premier te word, sê bloed het reeds op die ANC-takvergaderings in die provinsie gevloei en nog meer bloed kan vloei. Ralebisi sê hy is ’n ondersteuner van Manyoni en is bewus van die dringende hofbevel wat vandeesweek in die hooggeregshof ingedien gaan word, alhoewel hy nie regstreeks daarby betrokke is nie. “In Bethlehem is mense op ’n takvergadering geskiet wat hospitaal toe geneem moes word en in Wesselsbron is ’n klag by die polisiekantoor ingedien teen ’n ANC-burgemeester, Nkosinjani Speelman, wat na bewering iemand met ’n mes op die ANC-takvergadering gesteek het.” Hy sê behalwe vir grootskaalse verdeeldheid tussen die twee ANC-kampe – dié van Ace Magashule, Vrystaatse premier en provinsiale voorsitter wat Dlamini-Zuma in die nasionale verkiesingstryd ondersteun, en die Manyoni-kamp, wat die Cyril Ramaphosa (CR17)-groepering steun – is die gort behoorlik gaar. “Dit is in die CR17-kamp dat ANC-lede veral bitter ongelukkig is oor al die geknoeiery en beweerde omkopery op die ANC se takvergaderings.” Ralebisi sê hy is ’n ondersteuner van Manyoni en is bewus van die dringende hofbevel wat vandeesweek in die hooggeregshof ingedien gaan word, alhoewel hy nie regstreeks daarby betrokke is nie. Volgens die groep het die huidige PUK se termyn al in Mei vanjaar verval en moet dit ontbind word. Source: https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Politiek/aansoek-teen-anc-in-vrystaat-kan-ramaphosa-help-20171112

‘n Groep ANC lede gaan die week ‘n dringende aansoek in die hooggeregshof in Bloemfontein bring om die provinsiale verkiesingskonferensie van 1 tot 3 Desember te stuit. As die aansoek slaag, kan dit adj.pres. Cyril Ramaphosa se kans om op die nasionale konferensie van 16 tot 20 Desember tot president van die ANC verkies te word drasties versterk. Die aansoek kom te midde van spanning wat in die ANC in die Vrystaat opbou. Die bloed het al op takvergaderings gevloei. As die Vrystaatse ANC se afvaardiging na die nasionale konferensie in Midrand gestuit word, is ‘n belangrike blok stemme vir die Zumakamp weg. Die deur staan dan oop vir Ramaphosa om pres. Jacob Zuma as ANC leier te vervang en nie Zuma se gewese vrou, dr. Nkosazana DlaminiZuma, nie. Hanno Bekker van Hanno Bekker Prokureurs het by navraag bevestig ‘n groep van 25 Vrystaatse ANC lede gaan die week die aansoek teen die provinsiale uitvoerende komitee van die party bring. Die gronde vir die aansoek is dat die takvergaderings wat in die Vrystaat gehou is om afgevaardigdes vir die provinsiale en die nasionale konferensies aan te wys, beknoei is en dat daar glo grootskaalse omkopery plaasgevind het. ANC vroueliga in NoordKaap wil Ramaphosa he ‘n Verdeling in die ANC vroueliga het na vore gekom, met die NoordKaap wat adj.pres. Cyril Ramaphosa benoem het om die leierskap van die party op die Desember verkiesings konferensie oor te neem. Die nasionale leierskorps steun dr. Nkosazana DlaminiZuma. Die provinsiale ligas in Mpumalanga en Limpopo het van die NoordKaap verskil en DlaminiZuma onderskryf. Albei het die benoeming as eenparig beskryf. Die ANCvroueliga beywer hom weer daarvoor dat DlaminiZuma die eerste vrouepresident word. Toe die liga se nasionale uitvoerende komitee aangekondig het dat hy haar sal steun, het sommige ligalede gese steun vir die standpunt is nie in die laer strukture gewerf nie. In die NoordKaap moes ‘n geheime stemming plaasvind nadat sowel DlaminiZuma as Ramaphosa benoem is. Topys Vilaka, provinsiale sekretaris wat ook in die nasionale uitvoerende komitee dien, het gekla dat sy nou Ramaphosa moet bevorder ten spyte daarvan dat DlaminiZuma vroeer onderskryf is. “Of ek nou daarvan hou of nie, moet ek uitgaan en se dit is die standpunt van die NoordKaap. Ek dink ek is oukei omdat dit ‘n demokratiese proses was,” het Vilaka ges@. “Daar was niks wat ons kon doen nie. As ‘n PUR provinsiale uitvoerende raad sou dit ongrondwetlik gewees het om op die vergadering te gaan en se dit is die standpunt. Almal moet daaraan gehoor gee,” het sy ges@. Sowel Mpumalanga as Limpopo het die liga se topseslys gevolg, wat ook David Mabuza as adjunkpresident, Nathi Mthethwa as nasionale voorsitter, Ace Magashule as sekretarisgeneraal, Jessie Duarte as adjunksekretarisgeneraal en Maite NkoanaMashabane as tesouriergeneraal insluit. Lydia Moroane, provinsiale sekretaris in Mpumalanga, het in ‘n verklaring gese die benoemde leiers verteenwoordig die “beste kaders om radikale ekonomiese transformasie te ler Mpumalanga se standpunt word gesien as ‘n aanduiding dat Mabuza, wat geheimsinnig was oor wie van die twee voorlopers hy sal steun, waarskynlik sy gewig agter DlaminiZuma sal ingooi. Ironies genoeg het die liga in Limpopo die voormalige president Angie Motshekga aangewys wat aan die Ramaphosaveldtog vir die NUK verbind is. Al het nog nie al die provinsies hul benoemings vir die ANC se leierskorps ingedien nie, gaan die party nie die sperdatum van 15 November verleng nie, het Gwede Mantashe, sekretarisgeneraal van die ANC, Saterdag gese. Die party het gereel dat lede van die nasionale uitvoerende komitee NUK die kwessie sal hanteer, het Mantashe op ‘n spesiale vergadering van die party in Irene, Centurion, gese. “Ons probeer die proses aanhelp sodat dit baie gou gebeur.” Hy het gese die party is vol vertroue dat die takke aan die naderende sperdatum vir benoemings sal voldoen. Mantashe het bewerings van geweld op die vergaderings ontken en gese vanjaar was daar minimale gewelddadige aanvalle vergeleke met die opbou tot die verkiesingskonferensies in Mangaung 2012 en Polokwane 2007. Die NUK vergader in Irene om die konsep van die party se organisasieverslag te bespreek wat op die verkiesingskonferensie in Desember ter tafel gele sal word. Op die NUKvergadering, wat vandag eindig, sal die huidige krisis in die OosKaap, asook geskille in dele van die Suidkus van KwaZuluNatal, na verwagting bespreek word. “In die stadium is ons middein besprekings en verskillende sienings word gelug,” het Mantashe gese. Hy het gese die NUK sal bin nekort sy besluit oor die OosKaap oordra. Ontevrede voormalige lede van die OosKaapse provinsiale uitvoerende komitee het teen besluite op sy verkiesingskonferensie, wat in Oktober gehou is, geappelleer. Die konferensie is deur adj.pres. Cyril Ramaphosa as ‘n “fees van stoele” bestempel omdat stoele tydens die aanvaarding van geloofsbriewe in die rigting van die afgevaardigdes gegooi is. Soure: Die Beeld

ANC Free State members are angry that the province held a “surprise” provincial general council to consolidate branches’ leadership nominations ahead of the December national conference. Party members were caught off guard when an announcement was made on Monday. The province is still dealing with disputes from branch general meetings, held to nominate national leaders. Today members of the party were in cour challenging the processes towards the provincial elective conference. Hanno Bekker, Legal Attorney at Bekker Attorneys is representing one of the ANC members in the Free State who are seeking an interdict to prevent the conference from taking place this weekend. He is confident the court will rule in their favour, due to the ruling of a similar case. Once we look at this other case, there all the points were crystalised and that ruling went effectively in their favour – its a similar type of case we’re running now. Listen now http://www.702.co.za/articles/282521/anc-member-s-laywer-convinced-they-will-win-free-state-legal-woes

The High Court in Bloemfontein has ruled that African National Congress (ANC) general branch meetings held over the past few months were irregular and unconstitutional. This means the ANC’s Free State provincial conference cannot go ahead this weekend as scheduled. A group of disgruntled ANC members approached the court seeking the disbandment of the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and a declaration that the general branch meetings were not in line with the ANC’s constitution. The group, which Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as the next party leader, claim they were prevented from attending meetings. The group’s legal representative, Hanno Bekker, says the upcoming provincial conference cannot go ahead until the branch general meetings are conducted in a lawful manner. “There is a majority judgement. The branch general meetings that were held in August, September, October and November were declared null and void and has to be re-run. Until such time, there can be no conference. This means that the provincial conference scheduled in December cannot proceed and effectively means that it has been interdicted.” Source: https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/free-state-anc-conference-cannot-go-ahead/

The ANC Free State provincial conference will not take place this weekend afterall. On Wednesday the High Court in Bloemfontein ordered the conference not to be held until 29 branch general meetings, which the court declared unlawful and irregular, are conducted in a lawful manner. Hanno Bekker, attorney for the 26 ANC members who brought the case, said there had to be seven days’ notice given before a branch general meeting could be held. There was thus not enough time to convene these meetings, Bekker said. The court’s decision comes a day after the Free State provincial general council was held in Parys, where Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was nominated as the province’s presidential candidate. The Free State provincial executive committee’s term ended in May this year. The provincial conference was recently ordered by the court to take place this weekend. Source: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-11-29-ancs-free-state-conference-called-off/  

The ANC Free State provincial conference will seemingly not be able to take place this weekend after the High Court in Bloemfontein ordered that the conference not be held until branch general meetings which have been declared unlawful and irregular by the court are held in a lawful manner. Twenty-nine branch general meetings have been declared unlawful and irregular. Hanno Bekker‚ attorney for the 26 ANC members who brought the case‚ said there had to be seven days’ notice given before a branch general meeting could be held. There was thus not enough time to convene these meetings before the scheduled provincial conference‚ Bekker said. This comes a day after the Free State provincial general council was held in Parys‚ where Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was nominated as the province’s presidential candidate. The Free State provincial executive committee’s term ended in May this year. The provincial conference was recently ordered by the court to take place this coming weekend. Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2017-11-29-high-court-ruling-sees-anc-free-state-conference-postponed/

The ANC Free State provincial conference will seemingly not be able to take place this weekend after the High Court in Bloemfontein ordered that the conference not be held until branch general meetings which have been declared unlawful and irregular by the court are held in a lawful manner. Twenty-nine branch general meetings have been declared unlawful and irregular. Hanno Bekker‚ attorney for the 26 ANC members who brought the case‚ said there had to be seven days’ notice given before a branch general meeting could be held. There was thus not enough time to convene these meetings before the scheduled provincial conference‚ Bekker said. This comes a day after the Free State provincial general council was held in Parys‚ where Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was nominated as the province’s presidential candidate. The Free State provincial executive committee’s term ended in May this year. The provincial conference was recently ordered by the court to take place this coming weekend. Source: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-11-29-high-court-ruling-sees-anc-free-state-conference-postponed/

With the ANC National Elective Conference now just a few weeks away, the party has been running around frantically trying to get itself organised. Getting to the December conference means branches all around SA have to have their own conferences and meeting to get in order. So far, that has been a huge problem. The latest Free State saga proves it. Earlier this week, the Free State ANC branches officially endorsed Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as their overall candidate for President. The majority of the branches nominated Dlamini- Zuma and her camp but there were some cries of irregularities from Ramaphosa supporters. On Wednesday, the High Court in Bloemfontein ordered that the general meeting were “irregular” and “unlawful”. With the provincial conference set to be held this weekend, the court has thrown a huge spoke in the ANC’s wheel, both at a provincial and national level. The court declared 29 branch general meetings unlawful and irregular. 26 ANC members brought the case to the court to air their grievances. TimesLIVE spoke to their attorney, Hanno Bekker, who said there had to be seven days notice given before a branch meeting could be held. Therefore, there was not enough time to have these meetings before the provincial conference. The Free State provincial executive committee’s term expired May 2017, after some more drama, the court recently ordered that the provincial conference take place this weekend. With these new “irregularities” that doesn’t look like it will happen. So, we know the Free State is a Dlamini-Zuma stronghold. But just how strong is her support from branches there, even if the procedure was irregular? Well, to put it lightly, her support is massive. If you look at the slate nominations around her it is also very “team NDZ”. These were the official nomination figures from the meeting. FS PGC nominations numbers 1.President – NDZ 209 – CR 44 2.Deputy President – Mabuza 204 – Sisulu 28 3.National Chair – Nathi 103 – Mantashe 57 4.Secretary General – Magashule 216 – Senzo 36 5.Dep SG – Duarte 168 – Mashatile 5 Will the ANC tp brass nationally be able to get their provincial ducks in a row? It’s going to be difficult and the clock is ticking… Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/anc-conference-crisis-high-court-ruling-postpones-free-state-conference/

The ANC Free State provincial conference will seemingly not be able to take place this weekend. The High Court in Bloemfontein ordered that the conference not be held until branch general meetings, which have been declared unlawful and irregular by the court, are held in a lawful manner. Twenty-nine branch general meetings have been declared unlawful and irregular. Hanno Bekker, attorney for the 26 ANC members who brought the case, said there had to be seven days’ notice given before a branch general meeting could be held. There was thus not enough time to convene these meetings, Bekker said. This comes a day after the Free State provincial general council was held in Parys, where Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was nominated as the province’s presidential candidate. Listen to the full interview with Bekker on POWER Drive on Wednesday afternoon: On Tuesday, the Free State ANC convened a provincial general council where it nominated Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to take over from president Jacob Zuma as party leader. Out of 307 delegates, 209 nominated Dlamini-Zuma and 44 Ramaphosa. The gathering was boycotted by 104 delegates, who are believed to be supporting ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa’s campaign to be elected the next president of the party. Among those who boycotted the gathering was the ANC Free State deputy chairperson Thabo Manyoni, who is expected to challenge incumbent chairperson Ace Magashule at the conference. The judgement renders the PGC’s decisions null and void, as the branches who took part in the meeting were being disputed in the court case. The Free State ANC now risks being prevented from voting at the ANC’s December conference, as it was in 2012, because the BGMs rendered unlawful were also where branches elected delegates to the national gathering. The case was brought by disgruntled ANC Free State member Lefa Mifi and is understood to be backed by senior leaders in the province. Immediately after the judgement, ANC Free State spokesperson Thabo Meeko said the province would seek to rerun the BGMs that were nullified by the court judgement before conference begins on Friday. Source: https://www.power987.co.za/news/anc-free-state-conference-called-off/

Thabo Manyoni, the deputy chairman of the ANC in the Free State, has indicated that the outcome of the provincial general council in which Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was nominated for the position of president could be challenged. Manyoni welcomed on Wednesday the outcome of a court battle in Bloemfontein in which 29 branch general meetings were declared unlawful, irregular and unconstitutional. The court ordered that the provincial conference, at which Manyoni was set to oppose longstanding ANC Free State chairman Ace Magashule at the weekend, be postponed until the meetings had been rerun. Manyoni and his supporters did not attend Tuesday’s provincial general council in Parys. “We reject in the strongest terms the bogus 24-hour-notice [council] held in Parys … and attended by some of the delegates representing the branches that were nullified by the appeals committee of the [national executive council] and disassociate ourselves with all the decisions taken there,” Manyoni said. “We hope the national office of the ANC stops this senseless and irresponsible act by Magashule and his cronies that is intended to create [a] false impression, confusion and panic within the ANC in the province,” Manyoni said. The Free State is the second province to be slapped with a court order, which was made three weeks ahead of the party’s national elective conference. The judgment adds further risk to the success of the December conference, making the national meeting vulnerable to litigation. It also came a day before the High Court in Pietermaritzburg hears an appeal application by the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive committee after the 2015 conference at which it was elected was declared unlawful in October. Branches in four regions, including Mangaung, have been affected by the judgment. It is unclear how the ANC in the Free State will navigate the court order. Dlamini-Zuma, the preferred candidate of President Jacob Zuma, got 209 nominations from the branches, and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa 44. Manyoni, who is said to be a key Ramaphosa supporter, was not at Tuesday’s provincial congress. Ramaphosa’s supporters were said to have boycotted the gathering. Hanno Bekker, attorney for the members who brought the case, said seven days’ notice had to be given before a branch general meeting could be held. There was thus not enough time to convene these meetings before Friday, Bekker said. The Free State provincial executive committee’s term ended in May, but the conference to elect new provincial leaders has not yet been held. The court recently ordered that the provincial conference take place this weekend so that new leadership could be elected before the national conference on December 16. Bekker said the judgment affected the standing of the provincial executive committee, as the committee effectively did not exist after its time had lapsed. The Free State committee could therefore not vote at national level as it no longer had a mandate to represent the province, Bekker said. However, ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe told Business Day that the court effectively extended the committee’s term with this order, as the conference would have elected new provincial leaders this weekend. ANC Free State spokesman Thabo Meeko said that the judgment did not refer to the lawfulness of the provincial executive committee. He did not think the rerun of the branch meetings would have an effect on the outcome of Tuesday’s provincial general congress, he said. Mantashe said the branch general meetings should not have to be rerun for the party to be in line with the court order. Source: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/politics/2017-11-30-dlamini-zumas-free-state-victory-in-doubt/

The league says there are signs that the ANC ‘might have been infiltrated by the fanatics of lawfare who run to courts whenever they get defeated through internal processes’. The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) in the Free State said it has “noted with disappointment” the Bloemfontein High Court ruling that found that 29 branch general meetings were unlawful and irregular. The court ruling on Wednesday read in part: “The provincial conference of ANC Free State scheduled for 1 to 3 December 2017 will be a nullity and cannot be held until the aforesaid meetings have been held in a lawful manner and in accordance with the constitution of the ANC.” Responding to the ruling, the ANCWL said it has observed signs that the party “might have been infiltrated by the fanatics of lawfare who run to courts whenever they get defeated through internal processes”. In the statement issued by Thandi Masiteng, the ANCWL Free State provincial secretary, the league added: “The lawfare fanatics and their masters might argue that their acts are justified, however, their intention is not to build a strong effective, efficient ANC, but to collapse all ANC internal processes for the benefit of the anti-transformation masters.” The ANCWL is backing former African Union Commission chair, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, to replace President Jacob Zuma at the helm of the ANC next month. At the weekend the Free State announced that it had nominated Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred candidate, but the court ruling has thrown a spanner in the works. She was nominated at the party’s contentious Provincial General Council, which was reportedly snubbed by supporters of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, that culminated in the successful court challenge. Ramaphosa and Dlamini-Zuma are frontrunners in the race to lead the ANC. Labelling those who sought court action as being against “radical economic transformation”, the ANCWL in the Free State said it remains “an integral part of the ANC in the province and will engage the ANC Free State leadership and make proposals on the way forward in relation to the outcome of the court”. Attorney, Hanno Bekker for the 26 ANC members who brought the case‚ pointed out that a seven-day notice was required before a branch general meeting can be held. Source: https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/1745048/anc-womens-league-unhappy-with-bloemfontein-court-ruling/

The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC in the Free State has been stopped in its tracks by a ruling in the Free State High Court. This follows an urgent application brought against the party, which succeeded in court yesterday. A group of ANC members filed an urgent application asking for Branch General Meetings (BGMs) to be declared illegal and for the ANC PEC to be dissolved. This was the third application of its kind against the party and the second time the group had approached the court. Their first application was dismissed on technical points. Yesterday the group’s legal representative, Hanno Bekker, said this meant that the ANC’s Provincial Conference, which was scheduled to take place from December 1-3, had successfully been indicted. Branch meetings in the Free State which took place in August, September, October and November were declared illegal. Bekker said this effectively meant that branch nominations were not to be considered. He said the announcement about the Provincial General Council (PGC) was also being affected. Free State was, until yesterday, the first province to officially put its weight behind who could potentially become the ANC and the country’s first female president. This follows the party’s PGC, which took place in Parys on Tuesday. David ‘DD’ Mabuza, who is a chairperson of the party in Mpumalanga, emerged as the province’s favourite to take over from Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa. The longest serving provincial chairperson and premier, Ace Magashule, was nominated for the position of Secretary General, while the current deputy secretary-general of the ANC, Jessie Duarte, was nominated to retain her post. Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, was nominated for the position of national chairperson. ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) treasurer, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, received the nod for Treasurer-General of the party. The slate is similar to the one pronounced by both the ANCWL and the ANC Youth League. Magashule, however, refused to reveal how many numbers each candidate received, telling journalists it would take a while to consolidate the numbers. He said the nominations would be released at a later stage. Media was also not allowed at the counting process but was called when the nominations for the top six positions were announced. Magashule said a list of additional members would also be sent to the media at a later stage. Some people told News24 they were taken by surprise when the province announced on Monday afternoon that the PGC was taking place. This happened without Magashule’s deputy, Thabo Manyoni, who is expected to challenge him for chairmanship during the Provincial Elective Congress. Manyoni told media houses that he was boycotting the PGC – a move which was supported by several other delegates in the province. Magashule told delegates that he and Manyoni had no issues and that Manyoni had excused himself from the sitting and was in Pretoria. “Don’t worry about Manyoni, he is my brother,” said Magashule, assuring delegates that he and his deputy were “solid”. So far only two provinces, the Western Cape and Northern Cape, have held PGCs, and both nominated Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as their preferred candidate to replace President Jacob Zuma when he steps down as leader of the ANC in two weeks’ time. Source: http://www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za/fs-anc-stopped-tracks/

Die ink op die notule van die ANC se Vrystaatse provinsiale kongres eerskomende Sondag en Maandag in Parys gaan skaars droog wees, dan kan die hooggeregshof in Bloemfontein die kongres en alle besluite daarop nietig verklaar. Die 26 ondersteuners van Cyril Ramaphosa as nasionale leier van die ANC, wie se hofaansoek daarvoor verantwoordelik is dat dié kongres met ’n week uitgestel is, beplan vroeg in volgende week nog ’n aansoek in die hooggeregshof. Hulle gaan waarskynlik ook vra dat die afgevaardigdes van die meer as 300 ANC-takke in die provinsie na die nasionale konferensie op 16 Desember verbied moet word om dit by te woon. Hanno Bekker van Bekker-prokureurs in Bloemfontein (namens die 26) het Woensdag bevestig ’n hofaansoek vir vroeg in volgende week word beplan. Die provinsiale uitvoerende komitee (PUK) van die ANC onder leierskap van Ace Magashule en ook die nasionale ANC het deur hul prokureurs geweier om inligting oor die afgelope takvergaderings in die provinsie aan die 26 aansoekers bekend te maak. Hulle is glo nie daarop geregtig nie. Hoewel Bekker geen verdere inligting oor die inhoud van die beoogde aansoek volgende week wou bekend maak nie, is dit duidelik uit sy brief waarin hy inligting oor die bywoningsregisters en geouditeerde lidmaatskapslyste van al die takke van die ANC in die Vrystaat geëis het, dat die hof gevra gaan word dat die provinsie se afgevaardigdes na die nasionale konferensie verbied moet word. As dié hofaksie slaag, kan dit Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma se kanse vir die ANC-leierskap op die nasionale konferensie ’n knou gee. Die moontlikheid is sterk dat daar ook vir ’n verklarende bevel gevra sal word dat die Vrystaatse kongres nietig verklaar word. Dit is duidelik dat die 26 aansoekers daarop steun dat daar onreëlmatighede in baie meer van die takvergaderings in die provinsie was as die 29 wat reeds deur die hooggeregshof as onregmatig verklaar is. Boonop word die provinsiale kongres ook nie op dieselfde datums gehou as wat in Oktober deur ’n hofbevel gelas is nie. Die provinsiale bestuur van die ANC het nog nie vir die tersydestelling van dié bevel gevra nie. Source: https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/Politiek/anc-se-vs-kongres-dalk-nietig-verklaar-20171206

Onsekerheid oor of die ANC in die Vrystaat se provinsiale Verkiesingskongres die naweek sal voortgaan heers steeds, te midde van vrae oor die geldigheid van 29 Algemene Takvergaderings, wat volgens ‘n hofbevel herbelê moes word. Regsverteenwoordigers vir die ANC-lede wat die aansoek teen die takvergaderings gebring het, sê die hof sal more redes vir verlede week se besluit verskaf, en dit sal hul volgende stap bepaal. Die groep se prokureur, Hanno Bekker, sê daar moet ook gekyk word, of die takke in Thabo Mofutsanyana, Lejweleputswa, Mangaung en Gariep wat dié week hul vergaderings herbelê die regte prosedures gevolg het, en by die hof se bevele gehou het, voordat daar sekerheid is oor of die kongres kan voortgaan. Source: https://www.ofm.co.za/article/national/254078/onsekerheid-oor-vs-anc-kongres-se-toekoms

After a high court ruled that certain ANC branches in the Free State convened unlawfully and ordered that they reconvene, the party says it aims to ensure that matters go smoothly over the next few days. The high court had found that 29 branches in four of the party’s districts in the province had met unlawfully and ordered that they reconvene. Provincial spokesperson, Thabo Meeko, said that branches began convening on Wednesday 6 December and they will do so until Saturday 9 December. This will give branches a few days to ensure that everything is in place ahead of the Provincial Elective Conference (PEC), which will be held in Parys on 10 and 11 December, where the party will endorse premier Ace Magashule as the ANC’s next secretary general. Current provincial deputy chairperson, Thabo Manyoni, is also expected to contest Magashule’s seat as the chairperson. Despite the scepticism of many, Meeko says he is confident that all will go well. “We have engaged everyone, the entire branches of the ANC and even the people who were complaining, as well as those who took us to court. They have all committed to meet and ensure that the branch general meetings will go according to plan,” Meeko said. According to the court ruling, at least 28 out of the 29 branches that must reconvene, must do so before the PEC can go ahead on Sunday. Meanwhile, legal representatives for the ANC members who brought the application to the branch meetings say the court will provide more reasons for last week’s decision, and it will determine their next step. The group’s attorney, Hanno Bekker, said it should also be verified whether the branches in Thabo Mofutsanyana, Lejweleputswa, Mangaung and Gariep, who reconvened their meetings, followed the correct procedures before the congress can continue. Source: http://www.bloemfonteincourant.co.za/anc-fs-confident-elective-conference/

ANC Free State to hold provincial congress next week, after BGM court ruling ANC Free State elective conference can’t go ahead – court ANC Free State holds ‘surprise’ provincial general council Bloemfontein – Lawyers for disgruntled ANC members have brought yet another court application – this time seeking to both nullify the provincial congress which is currently under way and to stop the province’s delegates from participating in the national elective congress this weekend. Last week the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the provincial conference couldn’t take place until 29 branch general meetings had been rerun. On Sunday ANC Free State chairperson Ace Magashule, who is likely to be elected to the position again, said the provincial executive had complied with the court order. However, attorney Hanno Bekker, who represents the disgruntled members, said on Monday: “There were 29 branches initially, but now more have come forward.” He said his clients were hoping to have the matter heard on Thursday and that only four respondents would be cited. According to Bekker, 32% of the branches in the province had raised disputes. “[The] same mistakes occurred – non-compliance with the court order and contempt of court,” said Bekker. The Free State ANC is due to hold a briefing to speak about the matter and other developments around the conference on Monday afternoon. The conference, which was meant to start at 09:00 on Monday, had not yet started by noon, with the waiting delegates singing struggle and church songs. Magashule was seen earlier but has been in meetings at the venue for most of the day. Source: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/application-brought-to-prevent-anc-free-state-delegates-from-attending-national-conference-20171211

Lawyers for disgruntled African National Congress (ANC) members have brought yet another court application – this time seeking to both nullify the provincial congress which is currently underway and to stop the province’s delegates from participating in the national elective congress taking place this weekend. Last week the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the provincial conference couldn’t take place until 29 Branch General Meetings had been re-run. On Sunday ANC Free State chairperson Ace Magashule, who is likely to be elected to the position again, said the provincial executive had complied with the court order. However, attorney Hanno Bekker, representing the disgruntled members, said on Monday: “There were 29 branches initially but now more have come forward.” He said his clients were hoping to have the matter heard on Thursday and that only four respondents would be cited in the matter. According to Bekker, 32% of the branches in the province had raised disputes. “[The] same mistakes occurred – non-compliance with the court order and contempt of court,” said Bekker. The Free State ANC is due to hold a briefing to speak on this matter and other developments around the conference on Monday afternoon. The conference which was meant to start at 09:00 on Monday, had not yet started by noon, with the waiting delegates singing struggle and church songs. Magashule was seen earlier but has been in meetings at the venue for most of the day. Source: http://www.polity.org.za/article/application-brought-to-prevent-anc-free-state-delegates-from-attending-national-conference-2017-12-11

The lawyer representing disgruntled African National Congress (ANC) members in the Free State, Hanno Bekker, believes the fresh allegations of misconduct by officials will prevent delegates from the province attending the national conference in Johannesburg. Bekker, who claims to represents a third of the unhappy ANC members, says they will return to the Bloemfontein High Court on Tuesday. “The court order of 29 November was blatantly disregarded in as much as it indicated the relevant Branch General Meetings had to be properly rerun in a constitutional manner, prior to the provincial conference proceeding. “We have however obtained information that even though some of the branches have been rerun, it has not been done in a constitutional manner. We are approaching the court with an application with contempt of court and to nullify the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) conference that is currently being held,” says Bekker. Bekker alleges that the PEC did not comply with the court order, nullifying any process following the judgement. ANC provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko told the media on Monday that the provincial leadership is doing everything in its power to ensure everyone is “happy”. Source: https://www.jacarandafm.com/news/news/free-state-delegates-will-not-attend-conference/

Lawyers for disgruntled ANC members have brought yet another court application in the Free State have approached the court to stop the province’s delegates from participating in the national elective congress this weekend. They also seek to nullify the provincial congress which is currently underway. Last week the High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the provincial conference couldn’t take place until 29 branch general meetings had been rerun. On Sunday ANC Free State chairperson Ace Magashule, who is likely to be elected to the position again, said the provincial executive had complied with the court order. However, attorney Hanno Bekker, who represents the disgruntled members, said on Monday: “There were 29 branches initially, but now more have come forward.” He said his clients were hoping to have the matter heard on Thursday and that only four respondents would be cited. According to Bekker, 32% of the branches in the province had raised disputes. “[The] same mistakes occurred – non-compliance with the court order and contempt of court,” said Bekker. Source: https://www.dailysun.co.za/News/National/free-state-anc-back-in-court-20171211-2

THE Free State ANC PEC led by Ace Magashule remained defiant yesterday in the face of legal threats to nullify the province’s ongoing provincial conference in Parys. A faction led by deputy provincial chairperson Thabo Manyoni was expected to file court papers yesterday as part of their attempt to scupper the provincial conference. The disgruntled group was also seeking an arrest warrant for Magashule. However, provincial spokesperson Thabo Meeko said that he was not aware of this move and was not expecting anyone to be arrested. By the close of business yesterday, the expected court action failed to materialise with the Magashule-led PEC calling Manyoni’s bluff and proceeding with the conference. The election of a new leadership structure was set to take place last night with Magashule standing for chairperson uncontested. Senior ANC national leaders David Mahlobo, Mosebenzi Zwane, Lindiwe Zulu and Malusi Gigaba were present at yesterday’s sessions. Regarding the status of the conference, Meeko said: “We have reconvened all branches as per court judgment. We are not aware of any court case against us. We have no intention to defy the court, but the ANC must conduct it’s business. “People who took us to court, we created space to engage them. We will give everybody an opportunity to raise any issue.Issues of boycotting, we can’t speak on that … in fact, no one is boycotting. The provincial secretary has not received any apology from the deputy chair. The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) in the province added to the pressure on Manyoni, calling for his expulsion from the ruling party. ANCYL spokesperson Sello Pietersen described Manyoni’s actions as “unacceptable” and deserving of “harsh sanction”. “It looks like these comrades have access cards to courts. What baffles me even more is that most of these people who take us to court are unemployed and we wonder where they get money from,” Pietersen said. Despite failing to act on its threat of litigation, Manyoni’s spokesperson Monnapule Ntamu still insisted on proceeding with the threatened litigation. Hanno Bekker of Bekker Attorneys, which represents Manyoni’s group, said the outcome of the ruling of November 29 was that any provincial conference planned by the ANC Free State would not be able to proceed until a rerun of the branch general meetings. “As such, the PEC effectively no longer exists as their time has lapsed and therefore no longer has a mandate to represent the province,” Bekker said. He said the provincial conference that is under way in Parys is in contempt of the court order. Source: http://www.thenewage.co.za/ace-defiant-amid-threats/

Ace Magashule has been re-elected as the Chairperson of the ANC in the Free State, extending his 23-year reign in the province Magashule, who is also Free State Premier, received 209 nominations from delegates in attendance, while his former deputy Thabo Manyoni only managed 25 nods. Manyoni, who boycotted the provincial congress, declined his nomination over the phone. “As the former Secretary of the provincial executive committee (PEC), I only received comrade Manyoni’s apology through the media,” said re-elected Secretary William Bulwane. Magashule’s deputy Paseka Nompondo, who was the Mangaung regional Chairperson was uncontested, along with the Deputy General-Secretary Mamiki Qabathe, while two other candidates who were nominated to contest the provincial Secretary and Treasurer positions could not be found. Mineral Resources Manager Msebenzi Zwane retained his position as the provincial Treasurer. Earlier, lawyers for disgruntled ANC members served papers on the PEC, claiming it was in contempt of court. The High Court in Bloemfontein ruled that the provincial congress could not go ahead without the re-running of 29 branch general meetings, a claim the PEC disputed. Business day online reports this morning that a group of ANC Free State supporters of Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will approach the High Court in Bloemfontein in a bid to stop the province’s 409 delegates attending the national elective conference. The publication states that if the group succeeds in its application, the ANC’s fifth-biggest province, which is supporting Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, will not be represented at Nasrec when the conference starts on Saturday. The group’s lawyer, Hanno Bekker, told the site that the court application will lodge first thing on Tuesday morning, asking for the matter to be heard on Thursday just two days before the national elective conference. It also wants the court to nullify the outcomes of the Free State conference. Source: http://www.destinyconnect.com/2017/12/12/ace-magashule-stays-anc-chairperson-free-state/

Al die lede van die ANC in die Vrystaat se provinsiale uitvoerende komitee (PUK), insluitend die premier, Ace Magashule, moet aan minagting van die hof skuldig bevind en moontlik in die tronk gegooi word, word in die nuutste hofaansoek van ontevrede ANC-lede gevra. Hulle vra ook dat al die Vrystaatse tak-afgevaardigdes en die oud- en nuutverkose PUK-lede na die 54ste nasionale konferensie eerskomende naweek in Johannesburg deur die hof verbied moet word om dit by te woon en om daaraan deel te neem. Vier ondersteuners van Cyril Ramaphosa in die komende leiersverkiesing van die ANC vra die hooggeregshof in Bloemfontein in ’n dringende aansoek Donderdag om te verklaar dat al die PUK-lede wat op die afgelope Vrystaatse konferensie in Parys herverkies is, ’n bevel van dié hof geminag het. Hulle moet 20 dae gegee word om redes te verskaf hoekom elkeen van hulle nie ’n gepaste tyd vir minagting van ’n hofbevel in die tronk moet deurbring nie. In hofstukke, wat deur die hooggeregshof uitgereik is, vra dié vier dat die pas afgelope Vrystaatse konferensie van die ANC in Parys, asook die besluite wat daar geneem is, nietig verklaar moet word. Die hof moet ook verklaar dat die provinsiale algemene vergadering wat op kort kennisgewing einde verlede maand in Parys gehou en waarop die Vrystaat sy steun aan dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma toegesê het, onwettig gehou is en die besluite wat daar geneem is, dus nietig is. Benewens dié 28 het verskeie ander takke ook onreëlmatighede aangemeld. Dit is nie opgelos nie. Dit het in al die stede in die provinsie voorgekom. Tebogo Bozo, ’n ANC-lid van Grasland by Bloemfontein, sê in ’n hofverklaring die hofbevel van einde verlede maand in die hooggeregshof dat die Vrystaatse provinsiale konferensie in Parys nie gehou mag word voordat die onwettige vergaderings van 28 takke in die provinsie nie wettig gehou word nie, is nie nagekom nie. Dieselfde ongerymdhede het weer in die tweede poging voorgekom. Dié takvergaderings is nie in ooreenstemming met die ANC se grondwet gehou nie. Benewens dié 28 het verskeie ander takke ook onreëlmatighede aangemeld. Dit is nie opgelos nie. Dit het in al die stede in die provinsie voorgekom. As gevolg daarvan behoort geen afgevaardigde van die Vrystaat die provinsiale of nasionale konferensies by te woon nie. Bozo sê dit is duidelik dat die PUK-lede die uitspraak van ’n volbank op 29 November opsetlik en met kwade bedoelings geminag het toe hulle met die provinsiale konferensie voortgegaan het. Afgevaardigdes wat op sulke onwettige takvergaderings verkies is, het ook aan die provinsiale algemene vergadering op 28 November deelgeneem. Bozo sê dit is duidelik dat die PUK-lede die uitspraak van ’n volbank op 29 November opsetlik en met kwade bedoelings geminag het toe hulle met die provinsiale konferensie voortgegaan het. Hulle moes geweet het die onreëlmatighede in die takvergaderings is nie reggestel nie. In sommige gevalle was daar nie eens ’n poging om dit te doen nie. Hy sê op die oomblik is daar nie ’n wettig verkose PUK nie. Iemand wat op die nasionale konferensie wil voorgee hy is ’n lid van die Vrystaatse PUK, tree onwettig op, sê hy. Source: https://www.netwerk24.com/Nuus/ANC_kongres/ace-en-vs-se-puk-lede-moet-tuisbly-gaan-hof-hoor-20171212

Dissident ANC members in the Free State will attempt to block the province from sending delegates to the party’s national elective conference in the Bloemfontein High Court on Thursday. They accuse the party’s provincial leadership of blatantly ignoring the Free State High Court’s ruling on 29 November, 2017 that biennial and branch general meetings conducted between August and November were irregular, unlawful, unconstitutional and/or in breach of the ANC constitution. The Free State’s last Provincial Conference was held on 11 May, 2013. The ANC constitution’s rule 17.2.1 requires provincial conferences to be held every four years, with a grace period of 90 days allowed. By holding the conference in December, and not prior to 11 August, the Free State provincial executive committee (PEC) effectively rendered itself dissolved. According to Hanno Bekker, an attorney representing the dissident members, “The outcome of the ruling of 29 November was that any Provincial Conferences planned by the ANC Free State would not be able to proceed until the Branch General Meetings has been rerun. As such, the PEC effectively no longer exist as their time has lapsed and therefore no longer has a mandate to represent the province. “However, a Provincial Conference took place on 10-11 December 2017, and the ANC Free State is in contempt of the court order. We are therefore approaching the Free State High Court on an urgent basis in order to nullify any decisions and/or outcomes of the Provincial Conference, as well as indicating to the court that the ANC Free State clearly ignored the court’s previous ruling.” Watch the video Source: http://www.enca.com/south-africa/catch-it-live-dissident-free-state-anc-members-to-block-the-province-from-sending

The ANC in the Free State is back in court today, after an application was lodged by disgruntled ANC members to nullify the outcomes of the Provincial Elective Conference which took place this past Sunday and Monday. It was at this conference in Parys that Free State Premier Ace Magashule secured another term as Chairperson of the ANC in the province – a position he has occupied since 1994. OFM news spoke to an attorney for the applicants, Hanno Bekker, earlier this week and he said his clients also intended on applying to nullify the ‘surprise’ Provincial General Council (PGC) meeting that took place two weeks ago, where presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Magashule secured nominations for President and Secretary General of the party respectively. ANC member, Sello Dithebe, told OFM News some of the delegates who attended the conference were not processed properly. Dithebe said, “many people were simply given phone calls to say come and be a provincial conference delegate”. The allegation that more Branch General Meetings (BGMs) were irregular comes after the Free State High Court ruled in late November that 29 BGMs were irregular and had to be rerun before the conference could continue. Source: https://www.ofm.co.za/article/local-news/254303/-ancvsanc-back-in-court-today-

The Free State High Court ruling in favour of nullifying the recent ANC Provincial elective conference, has been met with mixed emotions. Attorney for the applicants, Hanno Bekker says the judgment delivered by the full bench of judges is one with a victory for both sides. The Provincial Elective Conference was declared illegal and its outcomes – which includes the newly elected Provincial Executive Committee – have been declared null and void. The application to have ALL the ANC delegates from the Free State barred from the national conference which is set to kick off tomorrow, has, however, been dismissed. Delegates from 14 of the unlawfully rerun Branch General Meetings (BGMs) on the other hand will not be able to attend the conference. The Free State High Court ruling in favour of nullifying the recent ANC Provincial elective conference, has been met with mixed emotions. Outside the High Court, supporters of the applicants, are in a jubilant mood. ANC member, Tshepile Sempe says the most important aspect of the High Court judgment is the nullification of the hastily assembled provincial conference.

The High Court in Bloemfontein has barred several Free State branches from attending the national elective conference after the court nullified the party’s provincial conference. The High Court also ruled that the elective conference in Free State and its resolutions are unlawful and void. This means that the provincial executive committee (PEC) that was elected at that conference would not be able to attend the national conference in that capacity. The court has however allowed branches whose meetings were not in dispute to attend the conference. The court has effectively ordered that 14 branches and 27 PEC members will not be allowed to vote at the national conference on Saturday. Lawyers for disgruntled ANC members brought the application – this time seeking to both nullify the provincial congress and to stop the province’s delegates from participating in the national elective congress this weekend. “We are of the view that granting an order of that nature will deny delegates of lawful constituted branch general meetings of the right to participate in the national conference and this will violate their constitutional right,” the judgment read. The High Court in Bloemfontein last week ruled that the provincial conference couldn’t take place until 29 branch general meetings had been rerun. On Sunday ANC Free State chairperson Ace Magashule, who was elected to the position again, said the provincial executive had complied with the court order. However, attorney Hanno Bekker, who represents the disgruntled members, said on Monday “There were 29 branches initially, but now more have come forward.” According to Bekker, 32% of the branches in the province had raised disputes. The ANC National Conference has been marred by court battles in most provinces. On Friday the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg granted an application for leave to appeal, brought by the provincial executive committee (PEC) of the ANC, which is led by chairperson Sihle Zikalala. However, Judge Rishi Seegobin effectively ruled that PEC would remain dissolved, pending the outcome of the appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal and any subsequent appeal to the Constitutional Court. This means that the PEC, which supports ANC presidential candidate Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, will lose its 27 voting rights allocated to each province for the ANC’s national elective conference. They can however attend as observers or as branch delegates if elected by their branches to represent them at the conference. Source: https://mg.co.za/article/2017-12-15-anc-free-state-pec-several-branches-barred-from-attending-elective-conference

Of course, we knew there would be drama before the 54th ANC Elective Conference got underway. But Free State is going to war with itself, with branches accusing their local representatives of being ‘in contempt of court’. The feud has been brewing for a while, as numerous branches have objected to the length of time it has taken for a Provincial Elective Conference (PEC) to be organised. Sound confusing? That’s because it is. Why are Free State ANC in contempt of court? Thankfully, Hanno Bekker has helped us summarise what the main issues are. He’s the lead attorney representing the 26 clients who feel that last weekend’s PEC should not have been allowed to go ahead. Their representatives, Bekker Attorneys, are citing a ruling made on the 29th November. Here’s what he had to say: “The outcome of the ruling of 29 November was that any Provincial Conferences planned by the ANC Free State would not be able to proceed until the Branch General Meetings (BGMs) has been rerun. As such, the PEC effectively no longer exist as their time has lapsed, therefore no longer has a mandate to represent the province.” What is the case against the Free State PEC? The Free State High Court ruled in favour of the ANC’s T.J Mokoena, who argued the Free State gathering was in violation of the ANC constitution. The Provincial Conference has to be held every four years minimum. The last meeting was 11 May 2013, and the last possible day it could’ve took place legally was Friday, 11 August 2017, taking into account a 90-day grace period. Up to 29 branches are still yet to resolve issues, despite the FS conference going ahead from Sunday. Now, Mokoena and his fellow clients are holding the regional arm of the party in contempt of court. How will Free State affect the ANC Elective Conference? It seems like more chaos is stirring before the national ANC Elective Conference 2017. The event is already blighted by voting debacles, legitimacy struggles in KZN, and the very real threat of bribery and presidential intervention. Each day, another reason surfaces to undermine the party’s authority. There’s a growing list of ANC members who are refusing to acknowledge the validity on these Electives. Make no mistake, a powder keg is brewing under the ruling party right now. Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/free-state-anc-civil-war-allege-illegal-pec/ Image Credits: Twitter / ANC Free State