Eastern Cape ANC bars media from conference
2012-11-30 16:04
Alice - Journalists were ordered to leave a conference at the University of Fort Hare in Alice on Friday, as Eastern Cape ANC delegates set about nominating their candidates to lead the party.
Journalists were told to leave the auditorium where the nominations were due to happen, shortly after the start of the conference.
Security guards posted at the entrance of the auditorium were keeping strict watch over who was allowed into the meeting.
The conference started around 12:30, with the majority of delegates wearing yellow T-shirts bearing the image of ANC president Jacob Zuma.
Provincial ANC chairperson Phumulo Masualle told journalists earlier that he "wasn't sure" how long the nomination of leaders, ahead of the party's national elective conference in Mangaung in December, would take.
"The finish depends on the process," he said.
"You do not know. Maybe we have to do two rounds of voting to confirm who the candidates will be."
Masualle said the party should finish nominating its top six leaders on Friday.
The conference was scheduled to start on Thursday, but was delayed so that officials could verify the credentials of voting delegates.
The meeting, which will also clarify the province's proposed policies, is due to run until Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) was meeting behind closed doors, ahead of the party's provincial conference to nominate leadership candidates for the national conference in Mangaung.
The Provincial General Council was meant to start proceedings at 11:00 at the University of the Western Cape campus in Bellville.
It appeared the PEC meeting - attended by senior party officials - was holding up the process.
It was not clear what PEC members were discussing, but it was believed to be related to the exclusion of some branches from the voting process.
- SAPA
