ANC delegates are seemingly upbeat about the upcoming 55th Elective Conference of the governing party to be held at Nasrec, south of Johannesburg starting on Friday and ending on Tuesday.
Scores of delegates from across the country arrived in Gauteng on Thursday to honour the conference at the Expo Centre venue but most of their transport, such as buses, taxis and private cars ferrying delegates were parked at Unisa Conference Centre in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg.
Starting on Thursday, the delegates present were encouraged to start registering their credentials at the Expo Centre while vendors were already making a roaring business selling ANC merchandise, anything rom hoodies to caps, T-shirts, and jackets, all branded in the yellow, green and black colours of the ANC.
A voting delegate from Western Cape’s West Coast, Bulelani Penxa said, “We are here and ready for the conference. Ramaphosa must be re-elected, in fact he will. I am confident of that, most of the delegates from the Western Cape support Ramaphosa.”
Phapano Phasha, a delegate and an NEC nominee said the conference is highly divided.
“My honest opinion is if this NEC had the interests of the ANC and country at heart, they would turn this conference into a consultative conference, which will appoint elders such as Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Pallo Jordan, who would prepare for a national conference. This is primarily because, this NEC is divided and divisive, it has no moral authority to preside over this conference.
“What is concerning is the NEC also wants delegates to deal with issues such as Phala Phala, which have nothing to do with us, as ANC delegates. This Phala Phala issue can plunge the conference into a crisis to an extent that delegates could harm each other,” said Phasha.
A Free State delegate, who refused to be named, said the conference is going to be a mess based on the cloud hanging over president Cyril Ramaphosa’s head due Phala Phala scandal.
“We are in for a dramatic conference and this whole Phala Phala scandal will create chaos and all hell will break loose. We are heading for a showdown, and it will be messy. Battle lines have been drawn and there will be blood on the floor.”
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