If ordinary African National Congress (ANC) members want a say in their party’s leadership in December, they have until June 30 to get organised.
Briefing reporters in Johannesburg, ANC spokespersons on Wednesday outlined the process of electing the new leadership — including the hotly contested race for the top job.
”If you don’t have a branch meeting, then you can’t elect a delegate to go to conference,” Steyn Speed pointed out.
The rules require branches to have at least 100 paid-up members, and at least half of them must have attended their branch’s annual general meeting. This requirement will have to be in order before June 30 in time for the head office audit.
Another spokesperson, Smuts Ngonyama, acknowledged the importance of the national conference, between December 15 and 20 at the University of Limpopo in Polokwane.
”It poses challenges for the ANC as it will be the last conference before the national election in 2009,” he said.
It will also be the ruling party’s final conference before its centenary in 2012.
This top-level meeting is held every five years.
A key part of the run-up is the policy conference from June 27 to July 1, scheduled to be held in Gauteng at a venue yet to be announced.
The spokespersons would not be drawn on when or whether key national figures would state their availability for nomination.
Asked whether someone on trial would qualify as a presidential candidate — in a clear reference to ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma — Steyn replied: ”To qualify one must have been a paid-up member of the ANC for at least five years. If that has been filled, one may be nominated.”
Ngonyama ended further discussion on the matter, saying: ”It’s an issue that will be decided by the constitution of the ANC.”
On the matter of perceptions that the ruling party is divided, the briefing heard that the ANC’s cohesion will be a topic for discussion. ”It is for members of the ANC to reflect on that question.” — Sapa