On your marks… ANC Western Cape conference is a go
|Published
The ANC in the Western Cape has finally announced its provincial conference date. Picture: Ross Jansen
Cape Town - A date at last.
The ANC in the Western Cape has finally set a date for its much-awaited provincial conference. The party’s special Interim Provincial Committee (IPC) held a meeting on Thursday and it decided that the conference would be held from August 31 to September 2.
Party spokesperson Sifiso Mtsweni said the special IPC considered the conference preparation report from the Interim Provincial Working Committee (IPWC) and discussed the state of the branches in the province and regions as well as work being done to prepare for the provincial conference.
“The special IPC has agreed and adopted dates for regional conferences within the coming weeks and has released conference packages to branches to initiate the process of nominations for the leadership of the province.”
He said the special IPC was encouraged by the steady progress being made in the Dullah Omar Region (DOR) and other regions where intervention has had to be made to increase the momentum towards rebuilding branches.
Dullah Omar, which is the party’s biggest region, in the province, was disbanded earlier this year following a report that it would not be ready to hold a conference.
“The IPC has further approved the strengthening of Dullah Omar with comrades that will assist the intervention team in order to ensure that we have more than enough human resources as we push the region towards concluding its work,” said Mtsweni.
“Conference committees have been put in place including a conference preparatory and steering committee which is tasked with monitoring and ensuring that work, on a day-to-day, basis is done to ensure that the province meets its deadline,” he added.
They called on all branches and regions to adhere strictly to the guidelines for this critical process and observe all deadlines as set out by the adopted roadmap.
The ANC will look to gain voter confidence as smaller parties have continued to gain more ground. Members of the party have been calling for new leadership and fresh minds as unhappiness among members has grown
Leader of the party in the provincial legislature Cameron Dugmore is likely to stand for the chairperson position while Alex Stemela from George is likely to emerge as provincial treasurer now that the ANCYL has thrown its weight behind him.
National Union for Mineworkers (NUM) Western Cape secretary Sonwabile Fisa, Akhona Jonginamba and Khalid Sayed are very likely to emerge in the additional members as they are also hugely supported by the ANCYL
Other contenders include Richard Dyantyi, Bheki Hadebe, Sabelo Mahlathi, Rachel Windvogel and Vuyiswa Ndzakana are being raised by some branches as people who will lead the province.
Xolani Sotashe, who was recently removed as leader of the party in the Cape Town council, has said that if branches raise his name he will not decline.
The Western Cape will play a critical role in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term as ANC president at the December conference. Dyantyi is rumoured to be the preferred candidate for provincial chairperson and is said to be a Ramaphosa supporter.
In the coming days, lobbying will start and slates will be made public.