Editorial: Decision won’t end factional battles

THE ANC’s decision to postpone its elective conference in Nelson Mandela Bay until after the municipal elections is no doubt a win for those in its interim leadership who had consistently warned that holding a conference would be suicidal for the party.

On Friday, ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa announced that Luthuli House bosses had decided to postpone the election of Bay ANC leaders until after the local government elections later this year.

Although not surprising, the decision raises pertinent questions about how the national and provincial leadership structures of the party each view the state of the ANC in the Bay.

Until Kodwa’s announcement on Friday the provincial leadership – particularly secretary Oscar Mabuyane – had been vocal in their support for a regional conference.

Mabuyane had maintained that branches wanted to hold a conference to have an elected structure which would drive the party’s campaign and carry out its mandate going into the elections.

Several ANC insiders however have repeatedly claimed that the real motivation behind the conference was to bring back to power the previous regional leadership which was disbanded by President Jacob Zuma at the end of 2014.

Although publicly welcomed by members, this decision is unlikely to be the magic wand to put to an end to the factional battles that have brought the ANC in this city to its knees. In fact, as political analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana suggests, the factional battles are likely to play out in the coming months as the party puts together its list of candidates to possibly be elected councillors.

It also stands to reason that the more weakened the ANC is going into the election, the tougher this poll will be for it and therefore the fewer seats it is likely to win in council. The fewer the seats, the uglier the factional battles are likely to be, especially for those for whom an election onto council is not only about public service, but basic employment.