The Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday ordered two camps within the National Democratic Convention (Nadeco) party to hold an inaugural federal congress to choose the party’s office bearers.
Legal representatives of the Assan Mbatha and Ziba Jiyane camps said they hoped the congress will resolve disputes between the camps after a deadlock arose over who should replace John Aulsebrook in the KwaZulu-Natal provincial parliament.
Aulsebrook died in a motorcycle accident.
Judge Achmat Jappie ruled that all decisions taken at a meeting by members of the Jiyane camp in Durban on July 28 this year were invalid because proper notice of the meeting had not been given.
Delegates only found out what the agenda for the meeting was when they were inside the venue.
Mbatha said the meeting was called an inaugural meeting to elect members of the party’s Interim Federal Council.
Nominations were not distributed through party structures and no notice of the fact that elections were to be held was given until the invitees attended the meeting. The meeting was closed except to members invited.
Armed guards were at the meeting.
Jappie said that the inaugural congress should take place in Durban on September 23. — Sapa