Mantashe: Congress must happen

2008-08-28 20:04

Kuruman - ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe urged Northern Cape party members on Thursday to push ahead with their much-delayed provincial congress, no matter what.

"The congress should not be stopped," Mantashe said amid loud cheers from delegates in Moshaweng in the Kgalagadi region, some 40km north of Kuruman.

The provincial event, which has been delayed since Monday, was on Thursday again in limbo while delegates of one of it biggest regions, France Baard (Kimberley) were re-registered.

The congress programme only got underway after 13:00 on Thursday when messages of support from alliance groups were read.

Mantashe followed and made a strong appeal to the province to unite under the ANC.

He said currently the congress was not an ANC gathering but rather a meeting of Johan Block and Neville Mompati supporters.

Block, the current ANC provincial chairperson is standing for re-election, while Mompati, provincial secretary, is contesting the post.

The two groups in the ANC have been at each other's throats for the past three months amongst allegations of violence and it led to the provincial congress being deadlocked for most of the week.

By Thursday, the party in the province still had to discuss its organisational report, the financial report, its credentials report and the election of its new leadership.

The congress was due to end on Thursday.

Party officials however indicated that the congress would possibly continue through the night until Friday.

This was supported by Mantashe, who said if the congress was postponed it would create an unmanageable situation for the party.

He said an ANC leadership vacuum in the province was not an option.

"You go and get a product (elected leadership) you can work with, even when it is not what you hoped for. Sleep over, so be it, if it means that."

Mantashe said there could not be an election of "leadership by arrangement" in the province.

"No, no, no, it can just not happen. Not in an ANC congress," said Mantashe to more cheers.

- SAPA