The African National Congress (ANC) in Limpopo says it’s all-systems go for the start of the regional elective conference in the Mopani region. This is despite letters from members indicating the intention to interdict the conference.

The conference was postponed at the last minute last weekend to make way for the finalisation of the adjudication of an appeal process and to clear a verification report.

The Karibu lodge, outside Tzaneen, is expected to be a hive of activities this weekend as delegates of the conference converge for the 18th elective conference.

ANC Limpopo Spokesperson, Donald Selamolela, says they are confident everything will go as planned.

“Where we are sitting the conference will be starting today the 18th until on Sunday. We are very confident that everything will go as planned. We have no doubt that the regional leadership, in consultation with the provincial leadership, have done everything in their powers to ensure that all is well, and all systems are ready for the regional conference to sit,” says Selamolela.

Attempts to interdict conference

Two letters from lawyers representing some party members have been written to the Deputy Secretary General, Jessie Duarte. Limpopo provincial secretary, Soviet Lekganyane, was also copied.

Selamolela says all outstanding verifications have been concluded.

He would not be drawn to confirm or deny receipt of the letters.

“We are very confident at this stage that with everything we have done. We have done everything and we are on the right side of the law in terms of ensuring that this regional conference sits. We are not worried at all; we are confident that our regional conference will go on,” he adds.

Sekhukhune elective conference

Selamolela says the party is also ready for the Sekhukhune elective conference next weekend.

Selamolela say the remaining three regions are still finalising their branch general meetings.

“In as far as Sekhukhune, we can confidently say it will be sitting in the subsequent weekend of the 26^th. The pre-registration process in Sekhukhune has already started, it’s also all systems go. The Vhembe region, the Capricorn region, including the Waterberg region are currently involved in the process of branch general meetings, which they are doing simultaneously with the nomination of councillor candidates. We are confident that in a short space of time both the regions would have reached the threshold.”

‘Squabbles common within the ANC’

Political analyst, Levy Ndou, says squabbles surrounding conferences are common within the ANC and can be attributed to some party officials attempting to influence the outcomes of the conferences.

“These are the things that have been happening in the North West province where you would get a lot of conflict and disagreements towards a conference and in the main. This would come when certain officials or people who have been given to run the administration of the conference, are conflicted or who want the conference to move towards a particular direction and this indeed entrenches factionalism,” he says.