Organisers of the two-day national convention faced a setback on Saturday morning with the cancellation at the last minute of their overflow venue.
”The council couldn’t mobilise security to ensure everybody’s safety,” said an organiser, Eddie Bannerman.
The Johannesburg metro police and the South African Police Service were unable to make the arrangements at the short notice given, he said.
Meanwhile, at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday morning, police were sniffing the venue for explosives as delegates waited outside.
Waving his right fist in the air, splinter group leader Mosiuoa Lekota arrived at about 8.30am
Organisers for the convention, led by Lekota and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, had planned for more than 4 000 delegates to attend the weekend’s convention in Sandton, which could lead to the formation of a new political party.
However, they were oversubscribed by 2 300 people — and more are still expected.
The additional people were made up of delegates who had arrived in Johannesburg from various provinces without having pre-registered.
At the registration venue in Sandton’s Parkmore on Friday, many people arrived unannounced, saying they wanted to participate in what Lekota said would be a national debate about democracy in the country.
The conference was set up in the wake of unhappiness over the way the African National Congress handled the removal of former president Thabo Mbeki and the party’s unwavering support for its president, Jacob Zuma, before his corruption charges were set aside.
An overflow area was set up at the Johannesburg Stadium for people who did not have accreditation to attend the convention.
A live video feed was to have allowed the public to watch proceedings of the convention.
Organisers said accommodation problems had been caused by the unregistered delegates and members of the public arriving and having no where to stay.
Proceedings at the accreditation station were also delayed as staff dealt with queries from those who had not registered.
The organisers were trying to secure another venue. — Sapa