Johannesburg - After experiencing several setbacks and delays, the ANC’s national elective conference will now only be concluded on January 5 next year during a hybrid sitting.
The surprise move was announced by newly elected secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula on Tuesday, the last day of the conference which took place at the Nasrec expo centre in Johannesburg which dragged on for five days.
UPDATE: The ANC's national elective conference has been adjourned. The conference will now resume in January next year. Newly elected secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula is now on the podium to give way forward. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) December 20, 2022
Just when the media and everybody else expected the conference to announce who had made it to the national executive committee (NEC), Mbalula dropped the bombshell.
However, he clarified that voting for the new NEC members would be done on the day and the elections committee would announce them later on the day.
He said the national steering committee met and decided on this approach.
Among the factors, the committee cited for not finishing the conference within the stipulated five days was the time lost during registration.
A lot of time lost during the adoption of the credentials report and voting for the new Top 7 to be in office until 2027, he said.
“The finalisation of the credentials report, adverse weather conditions and voting procedures.
“Furthermore, by Tuesday, 20th December 2022 a number of delegates especially from distant provinces had started returning home.
“Due to these factors, it was not possible formally to adopt the commission's reports and resolutions based on the deliberations of commissions in plenary.
“It must be emphasised the commissions' meetings did take place and engaged in discussions based on the very thorough processes leading up to and at the 55th national policy conference held on the 28th to the 31st of July 2022,” Mbalula said.
He added that the steering committee was also mindful that some resolutions like constitutional amendments required a two-thirds vote of all delegates before they are ratified.
“It was clear to the steering (committee) that the national conference would have neither the time nor the required majority to adopt the constitutional amendments,” he said.
He then explained how the hybrid format which will conclude the business of the adjourned conference.
Among the measures to be put in place would be having central venues in each of the nine provinces and they would be connected to each other virtually.
“The rules adopted by national conference will apply to the continued sessions with the necessary modification as required by the different circumstances.
“The commission reports and drafts resolutions will be circulated to structures and delegates to prepare for the continued session.”
The proposal was adopted and the conference moved to receive closing address by President Cyril Ramaphosa who is now taking his second as party leader.
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