A group of ANC members give NEC ultimatum regarding party list 

A group of 14 African National Congress (ANC) members has given the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) until the end of business on Friday to respond to their concerns about names listed for the party’s top structure or face legal action.

The 55th National Conference starts on Friday next week at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg.

The group is objecting to the Electoral Committee’s list of 200 names for the 80 additional members of the NEC, saying the committee has flouted the rules governing nominations.

The group’s Mandisi Masala says they are not affiliated to any camp in the party.

Masala says they are simply seeking transparency by demanding that the Electoral Committee release raw data of all nominations during the recently held branch general meetings.

He says, “The ANC if they do not deal with this matter this Friday, the NEC we are taking them to court, we are going to take this conference to court, we are taking the conference to court because we were not given sufficient responsibility and also other things of us being in the list, it is the first time in our lives where you see a list being prepared by a committee. We know PGCs (Provincial General Councils) where provinces consolidate it has not been done, it is a cabal that has done this thing.”

VIDEO | Disgruntled ANC members challenge NEC nominations:

Credible

On Thursday, ANC National Spokesperson Pule Mabe said every effort has been made to ensure that the National Conference is credible.

A number of ANC members have written to the party’s electoral committee objecting to the NEC nomination list that was announced last week.

The objectors demanded that the total number of branch nominations received per candidate, including branch nominations be provided.

However, the Electoral Committee hit back saying the objections are unfortunate as they are based on a misconception of the party’s Constitution.

Mabe says all the processes have been followed.

He says, “We need to urge our structures to follow the right platforms to raise their concerns where such may exist. We’ve been assured that they have done everything in their power to make sure that the credibility of this conference is not in question. So, where cadres have got concerns, they are welcome to raise their concerns, but they must follow valid and due process of organisation.”

VIDEO: NEC and NWC coordinator Gwen Ramokgopa gives updates ahead of ANC’s 55th National Conference: 

Additional reporting by Abongile Dumako.