Thabo Mohlala
A spanner has been thrown into the works at the ANC’s 54th elective conference following a dispute related to voters who were unaccounted for when the results were announced last night.
Delegates were expected to continue with the elections of members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) but it has emerged that Cyril Ramaphosa’s camp has raised objections about 68 voters who did not vote across the board but could potentially impact the results of the Secretary-General position, which pitted Senzo Mchunu against Ace Magashule. Magashule pipped his rival, Senzo Mchunu, by a slender margin of 24 votes.
The voting results for all six positions #ANC54 pic.twitter.com/UCIz9GBQV7
— Sithembile Mbete (@sthembete) December 19, 2017
The conference’s Steering Committee is currently locked in a meeting to resolve the conundrum.
Observers said this is likely to revive the tensions that characterised most of the conference before the poll results yesterday. But Supra Mahumapelo, North West provincial chairperson, warned that the delegates are taking a “slippery road” by entertaining the call to recount the votes asking why it should apply to one position. He said if they allow the recount the same should apply for all positions, not just the party’s top administrative post.
It is believed that the Steering Committee would have to report to plenary and this is where it is feared that things may get out of hands. This brings into question whether the conference would get to discuss policy issues – another crucial component of the conference – when it wraps up tomorrow.
