The African National Congress (ANC) in the Free State is stable and united, provincial party leader Ace Magashule said on Wednesday in reaction to questions about party leadership battles and ”factions” within the ANC at regional level in the province.
”The ANC is stable and united at all levels,” Magashule told journalists at an ANC media breakfast in Bloemfontein.
He agreed that there might be ”pockets” of unhappy ANC members in the province, but was confident that it was no major issue.
”We are very confident that the ANC at local government levels is stable, united and going forward in the province,” said Magashule, adding that the party is happy with the cohesion between the governing party and government.
Some party members are currently embroiled in a Bloemfontein High Court battle over decisions taken at a regional ANC conference in the northern Free State earlier this year.
The court last week postponed an application for an interdict by four Kroonstad ANC members to suspend the Fezile Dabi region’s conference.
The four members alleged in court papers that the regional conference, at Oranjeville in February this year, contravened the ANC’s constitution. Allegations are that in some branch meetings, where delegates were chosen for the regional conference, there had been no quorum and that people who had signed attendance registers for these meetings were not present.
The high court granted an interim interdict suspending all decisions taken at the conference.
On the issue of a new national leader, Magashule said the province does not have a ”particular position” on who to support as candidate for elections towards the end of the year. ”We are going to interact with the rest of the country and decide together on the leadership.”
He said the focus at the national conference will be on the election of a group of leaders, rather than just one leader. — Sapa