Judgement was reserved on Thursday on further applications made in an interdict to suspend the election of new office bearers by an African National Congress (ANC) regional conference.
Judge Corne van Zyl in the Bloemfontein High Court reserved judgement until April 4 after hearing argument on an application by 17 people wanting to join the original applicants in the matter — four ANC branch members from Kroonstad.
The high court earlier postponed the urgent court interdict to Thursday March 29 for consideration.
However, the ”joiner” application was filed late on Wednesday for the court to consider. Counsel for the applicants, Alex Dunzfuss, also submitted that the court allow them time to advertise in two newspapers for other possible applicants.
Judge Van Zyl, who at an earlier opportunity expressed her concern over the delays in the matter, was not happy with the latest developments and urged the parties to ”stop playing cat and mouse” at the court’s expense.
She said the parties should ”stop beating around the bush” and ”resolve the side shows” so that the matter could go to the discussion of merits.
It has been seven weeks since the original court applications were filed.
Majel Wessels, counsel for the respondents in the matter — Free State ANC chairperson Ace Magashule, the provincial party secretary Charlotte Lobe and three others, asked the court to strike the matter from the roll.
Wessels argued that the application was ”stillborn” and was kept alive by the court’s interim orders thus far.
He submitted that, in the light of the delays the matter now faced, that the court should strike the case from the roll until the applicants could file a proper application.
The four original applicants alleged in court papers that the regional conference, at Oranjeville in February, was in contravention of the ANC’s constitution.
Accusations of abuse of power and dereliction of duty were also made.
During Thursday morning’s proceedings two groups of ANC members protested outside the court — one supporting Free State ANC leader Ace Magashule and the other against him.
Police were on the scene to keep the two groups apart.
The pro-Magashule group waved placards with ANC logos, while the anti-Magashule group carried hand-written placards. The latter group has accused the Free State ANC leader of trying to be ”bigger” than the ANC.
”Resign with your puppets!” one of the placards said.’
The high court earlier granted a temporary interdict suspending all decisions taken at the regional conference.
In terms of the interdict, all resolutions taken were suspended and the current office bearers in the Fezile Dabi region (northern Free State) had to stay in their positions.
The interim interdict stands until April 4. — Sapa