A group of ANC members has taken legal action against the party’s leadership, alleging that the 16th regional conference of the ANC Sedibeng region, held from November 21 to 23, 2025, was unlawful, unconstitutional, and riddled with irregularities.
The applicants, Penny Sylvia Sengoatsi, Bafana Mphuthi, Sipho Euthicase Thindi, and Eric Tshabalala, filed papers in the Johannesburg High Court last week on Tuesday seeking to nullify the conference and its outcomes.
The applicants claim that the conference violated their constitutional rights and the ANC constitution, which governs the party’s internal processes.
They argue that the conference was held without adhering to the proper procedures outlined in the ANC constitution and the revised ANC guidelines on branch general meetings (BGMs), branch biennial general meetings, and regional conferences.
In their notice of motion, the applicants seek an order “declaring that the conference, held in Vereeniging, and consequently all the decisions/resolutions adopted there, to be declared unlawful, null and void”.
They also request the court to “direct and compel the disbanding of the Sedibeng regional executive committee elected in the impugned conference”.
Additionally, the applicants invoke Section 19 of the South African constitution, which guarantees the right to political participation and fair elections.
“The ANC as an institution is not just another political party but one which is at the centre of the social, political, and economic life of every South African,” the applicants assert.
The applicants allege that membership data was manipulated to qualify certain branches for the conference. For example, they said, Ward 8 in the Emfuleni sub-region was disqualified in the membership audit report of July 17, 2025, for having only 95 members, below the required 100 members.
However, the final BGM verification report issued on November 15, 2025, recorded the audited total membership as 102, enabling the branch to qualify for the conference.
The applicants challenge the reliability of this data, stating: “The data was manipulated by increasing it to enable the branch to qualify for the regional conference.”
They have demanded the production of scanner reports to verify the actual attendance at the BGMs. The first applicant, Sengoatsi, claims her name was unlawfully removed from the ANC membership management system, effectively terminating her membership.
Sengoatsi alleges that her name was removed in retaliation for raising concerns about discrepancies in the attendance register during her branch’s pre-BGM.
The respondents, including ANC secretary-general Fikile April Mbalula, Gauteng provincial task team coordinator Hope Papo, the ANC, and the Sedibeng regional executive committee, have been called upon to provide records and reasons for their decisions within 15 days.
The applicants specifically demand scanner reports, investigation reports, and membership data to substantiate their claims.
