ANC provinces ready for nominations rerun
2012-12-04 17:20
Johannesburg - The ANC in Limpopo and the Western Cape will hold their nomination conferences on Wednesday after being given the go-ahead by the national executive committee (NEC).
"We are more than ready to proceed," Limpopo spokesperson Makonde Mathivha said on Tuesday.
Delegates would start registering at about 09:00 at the Marco Hall in Polokwane and the conference would be held at the same venue as Friday.
The province had to cancel its conference on Friday night when a group of "violent hooligans" disrupted proceedings, forcing delegates to flee the venue, Mathivha said at the time.
He claimed the event was disrupted by a group wearing T-shirts with President Jacob Zuma's face printed on them.
Mathivha said security had been beefed up for Wednesday's conference.
"Anyone who doesn't qualify [for the conference] must not even think of coming near the conference."
Limpopo, along with Gauteng, has been one of the provinces calling for change of leadership in the African National Congress.
The provincial executive committee (PEC) wanted Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to take over from Zuma.
ANC Western Cape secretary Songezo Mjongile confirmed that the province would hold its provincial general council (PGC) in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Delegates would start registering at 1pm and the conference was expected to start by 16:00.
"We have put necessary measures in place to make sure the meeting is not disrupted," Mjongile said.
Any issues would be dealt with outside the conference by NEC deployees so that nominations could go ahead.
Among the province's NEC deployees was Minister in the Presidency Trevor Manuel, who was the convenor.
Six NEC members would be sent to the Western Cape and six to Limpopo to facilitate the conference reruns.
ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe said the NEC decided during its special meeting on Monday to allow the two provinces to reconvene their PGCs.
"Failure to hold these conference successfully will mean that the provinces will forfeit their right to nominate and will therefore only be able to exercise their nominating right from the floor of the conference [in Mangaung]," he said.
A nomination from the floor has to be supported by 25% of the conference members.
- SAPA
