Durban - THE National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) is expected to meet next week to discuss a request to have the results of the recent KwaZulu-Natal conference nullified over allegations of gatekeeping and ghost delegates.
The KZN ANCWL last week elected Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza as its new provincial chairperson and Education MEC Mbali Frazer was elected deputy chairperson.
Senior ANC councillor Zama Sokhabase was elected secretary, the deputy secretary is Member of the National Assembly Fikile Masiko and Maphumulo Municipality mayor Matozi Dlamini was elected treasurer. Khoza narrowly beat Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi to become chairperson.
The conference, which started on August 4, and was meant to last three days, was delayed and eventually ended on August 7.
Last week eThekwini ANCWL regional co-ordinator Mpume Mabaso wrote to Women’s League president Sisi Tolashe and secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba, calling for the nullification of the conference.
Mabaso alleges that one of the irregularities was that three separate registers were used for one process and these included a “pre-registration register; a registration and verification register that was used to confirm conference credentials, also signed off by RTT (regional task team) co-ordinators; and the voters roll used on the day of voting but not certified or endorsed by the RTT co-ordinators”.
“This compromised the integrity of the voters roll used for voting because a number of comrades who previously appeared on the registers no longer appeared on the voters roll … therefore (they were) denied access or the right to vote. I therefore challenge the validity of the voters roll that was used.”
Mabaso said the voting process continued despite the steering committee being made aware of the alleged irregularities. She said the number of votes cast did not tally with the number of eligible voters.
“Based on my submissions, it is very clear that this conference has many inconsistencies that could not be explained or corrected from the first day of conference to its adjournment. I therefore submit that the NEC reject the outcomes of the 6th KZN Conference of the ANCWL.”
She alleged that “three ghost delegates” had made the difference at the conference, with Khoza narrowly defeating Sithole-Moloi by three votes.
“Out of 1 219 voting delegates, the number of votes was 1 222, which raised questions about the extra three ‘ghost’ delegates.”
ANCWL secretary-general Nqaba confirmed receiving Mabaso’s letter and said it would be discussed at the NEC meeting.
“We are awaiting a consolidated report from NEC members who had been deployed to the conference. We will deal with the overall report and then we will be able to consolidate and put together a statement on the outcomes.”
Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu, of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, said the allegations raised would be of concern to the national wing of the ANC.
He said KZN was an important province for the party and the matter would raise other questions regarding the outcomes of the recent Youth League and provincial conferences.
“This sends a message that KZN is not doing a good job in managing its conferences and does not reflect well. This does not only affect the Women’s League, the ANC has to look at this matter broadly as these concerns have also emerged from other conferences.”