The results of the recently held elective conference of the ANC Women’s League in KwaZulu-Natal have been nullified.
The chaotic conference was held at the Durban International Convention (ICC), and it was marred by days of delays, internal disputes over who should vote, and allegations of electoral fraud.
After days of delays, Nonhlanhla Khoza was elected as the provincial chairperson, narrowly defeating Bongi Sithole-Moloi.
Khoza is the province’s MEC for social development, while Sithole-Moloi is the MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
The decision to nullify the results and disband the structure was communicated to the province on Friday by Nokuthula Nqaba, the secretary-general of the league at the national level.
Nqaba did not state the reasons for the decision to nullify the conference, and the decision was also communicated to Bheki Mtolo, the provincial secretary of the ANC in the province.
BREAKING NEWS: The chaotic elective conference of the ANC Women's League in KwaZulu-Natal, which was held in Durban recently, has been nullified. In a letter to KZN, Nonhlanhla Khoza and others have been told to cease any activities as legitimate leaders of the league. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) August 18, 2023
She also claimed that, despite a clear tallying of the delegates that voted, 53 votes were unaccounted for and asked that the results of the conference be set aside.
It appears that the league concurred with Mabaso and nullified the results.
"Please be advised that the African National Congress Women's League National Executive Committee convened a Special National Executive Committee meeting today, August 18, 2023, and has resolved on the nullification of the 6th Provincial Conference of the ANCWL in KwaZulu-Natal, which took place on August 4–7, 2023," Nqaba said in the letter.
She said that as a result of the decision, the structure cannot undertake any activity under the banner of the league in the province.
However, early this week, Nompumelelo Mabaso, the former coordinator of the regional task team for the eThekwini region, wrote to Nqaba and others and claimed that during the conference there were three separate registers.
"As such, the ANCWL in KwaZulu-Natal cannot sanction any political, organisational, or constitutional activities, including Regional Conferences, Regional General Councils and Regional Assemblies.
"The officials of the NEC will be coming to KwaZulu-Natal to meet with the officials of the ANC and structures of the ANCWL this coming week.
"Details of these meetings will be communicated in due course," she added.
It was not yet clear whether the three regional conferences the Nonhlanhla Khoza leadership planned to convene over the weekend would go ahead or not.
The three regions that were due for elective regional conferences of the league are Harry Gwala, Mzala Nxumalo, and Moses Mabhida.
They were to be addressed by leaders who have since been stripped of their titles and rendered ordinary members of the league.
sihle.mavuso@inl.co.za
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