Both the African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) and the Interim Provincial Committee of the Youth League in the North West have welcomed the announcement by the ANC Interim Provincial Committee that the party will convene its provincial elective conference next month.
They say the holding of the provincial conference is long overdue.
The ANC Interim Provincial Committee, ( IPC) was established after the Supra Mahumapelo-led Provincial Executive Committee was disbanded in 2018. The IPC’s main mandate was to forge unity and rebuild party structures in the province which would then have been followed by the election of a permanent provincial executive committee.
However, due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and last year’s local government elections, the process was somewhat delayed. Now, the interim provincial leadership says it is ready to choose new leadership.
“By end of February, we have to go to the provincial conference. Obviously, meaning that our structures must reach the 70% threshold. We are working on that currently, it is up to branches of the ANC now, these interim branches to convene, come up with their programmes and then identify dates for their BBGM’s. Once they have done that, then we know they can elect the leadership and in the election of the leadership they can then pronounce on the position of the provincial conference,” says Coordinator for the IPC, Hlomane Chauke.
The ANC Women’s League in the province says the convening of the provincial conference is long overdue. The league’s provincial secretary, Bitsa Lenkopane, says there are ready for their members to lead.
“It’s long overdue and we are saying we are ready as the women of the North West and we are now saying we also want to deliver the Provincial Executive Committee. We mean women who will be standing there as faces of women. We mean women who understand the needs of this province. If it is not total take over of the top five, at least three women.”
The Interim Provincial Committee of the Youth League is also eyeing the top positions.
” I can speak without fear or favour that we want comrade Koketso Mogomotsi to be the deputy secretary of the province and we want five PEC members, additional members from 18 to 35. But on the question of the leadership it remains our vehement view as the youth league that we associate ourselves with those who associate themselves with us because for far too long we have been reduced to just been a mere desk of the ANC that is not influential,” says Coordinator for the league’s interim committee Wessels Morweng.
A political analyst professor Andre Duvenhage believes the envisaged provincial conference will be highly contested with three groups already in the running.
“The first one is Patrick Chauke, he is the Coordinator of the Interim Provincial Committee and according to information, he has the support of both the youth and the women’s league and then there is the Nono Maloi group which I believe is very influential. Then thirdly we have the strong man of North West, no one else than Mr. Supra Mahumapelo who is always a dangerous individual.”
Meanwhile, the interim provincial leadership of the party is expected to meet next week, to prepare for both the regional and provincial conferences.
