Zuma backers threaten boycott in Limpopo

2012-11-30 20:00

President Jacob Zuma (Picture: AP)

Sipho Masondo, City Press

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma’s supporters in Limpopo are threatening to boycott the province’s nomination conference, citing the inclusion of bogus branches and delegates.

The conference, which was supposed to start at 20:00 on Friday has not started. ANC spokesperson in the province, Makonde Mathivha, said there "are administrative issues still being attend to".

However, Zuma’s supporters - clearly the majority - who are wearing "100% Zumantashe" T-shirts have now refused to continue with the registration process, saying the provincial leadership was busy “cooking bogus branches and delegates".

Addressing a caucus of the Zuma grouping, former ANC secretary in the province Joe Maswanganyi said: "We will not partake in this thing any further.

"We demand verification of the audit report signed by the secretary general of the ANC.

"We will not go ahead with registration before we get an audit report so that we can verify all the branches and delegates for ourselves.

"Sometimes you need to fight fire with fire", he said to rapturous applause from the crowd.

The Limpopo provincial leadership has endorsed Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe to lead the ANC after Mangaung.

The Sekhukhune and Waterberg regions are believed to be fully behind Zuma. The ANC's deputy chairperson in Limpopo and Education MEC Dickson Masemola, who supports Zuma, comes from Sekhukhune.

The Vhembe and Capricorn regions are divided.

The province will send about 479 delegates to Mangaung.

Mathivha dismissed as “nonsense and confusion” allegations about the inclusion of bogus delegates and branches.

"These people are confused. Some people get overly excited. We are busy with the registration process.

"More than 60% of it has been done and we will start as soon as we finish.”

- City Press