ANC to go virtual route for elective conference

The ANC in the Eastern Cape is forging ahead with its regional elective conference, saying it will hold hybrid virtual gatherings, with the delegates scattered around in different schools to socially distance.

But before a date can be set for the elective conference in Nelson Mandela Bay, the party is still waiting for the thumbs up from Luthuli House.

The Bay ANC is set to elect a new regional executive committee, the affairs of which have been managed by a regional task team (RTT) for years.

With Bay ANC branches already having met the 70% constitutional threshold to go to the conference, the party says it is all systems go for the June gathering.

The elective conference was thrown into doubt when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the country would move to a level 2 lockdown as Covid-19 infections continued to rise in SA. 

Ramaphosa said all gatherings, including political events, would be limited to a maximum of 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors.

ANC provincial spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela said until Luthuli House directed provinces otherwise, regional conferences would go ahead as planned.

“So far, nothing has changed regarding the conference going ahead,” Magqashela said.

He said the country had been on level 2 previously when the party had held by-elections and branch meetings successfully.

“We do need the structures, but then we also as leaders need to consider people’s health and not deliberately expose them.

“We will exercise all the safety measures.”

Magqashela said it was agreed at a meeting on Tuesday that in the absence of objections from national bosses, conferences would go ahead.

He said the province was waiting for a branch verification report from the national office.

“We are now waiting for that, which will tell us whether the branches are qualified or disqualified.

“Thereafter, if the region has met the 70% threshold to be eligible to hold a conference, [we will go to conference],” he said. 

The Bay was expected to elect new leaders in 2020 but the plans had to be shelved because of Covid-19.

The region’s affairs have been managed by a task team since the REC was disbanded in 2018 after the structure failed to organise a regional general council to elect Andile Lungisa’s replacement when he was instructed to step aside as regional chair.

ANC RTT co-ordinator Luyolo Nqakula said though the date had not been set, the conference would be held in June.

He said the region was able to convene 44 branch meetings. .

The regional conference is expected to be a two-horse race between MPL Babalwa Lobishe and Lungisa.  

Lungisa’s eligibility to contest for the position has been questioned as he is on parole after he was sentenced to two years in jail for assaulting DA councillor Rano Kayser with a glass jug in 2016.

Previously, Lungisa said if delegates wanted him to stand for the position, he would make himself available.

This week, Lungisa said electing new leaders would go a long way in stabilising the party in the region.

 Lobishe said they were confident the conference would not be shelved.

She said the conference was an affirmation that the organisation existed.

“The fact that we were able to hold branch meetings means unity and support was there and now we only need to rebuild the organisation,” she said.

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