Court Blocks Eastern Cape ANC Conference Over Unresolved Branch Disputes, Invalid Verification

The Eastern Cape High Court in East London has forced ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and the provincial executive committee (PEC) to pause plans for this weekend’s elective provincial conference.

The ruling followed an urgent application by three members , Lwazi Rotya, Sinethemba Mpande, and Nompumelelo Mzothwaseeking an interdict against the gathering, which they regarded as unlawful and unconstitutional.

The Challenge

The applicants accused Mbalula and the PEC of unlawfully approving the conference, despite unresolved disputes from branches.

Mbalula signed off the final verification report on 18 March. However, the court found the report invalid, noting that it was issued only a week before the conference date , not the required two weeks.

This deprived branches of the opportunity to contest its validity and resolve disputes in advance.

It was already clear the ANC would not address the issues raised by 20 March , meaning the conference would have proceeded unlawfully and excluded qualifying members.

The Verification Flaws

The applicants challenged the verification report’s claim that 535 of 554 branches had qualified, surpassing the 70% threshold needed to proceed.

They argued:

• No preliminary verification report was issued as required by ANC guidelines

• The figures in Mbalula’s verification report were inconsistent with regional reports

• Some branches that should have qualified were excluded, while others that did not qualify were approved

At the time of the court application, many disputes remained unresolved, with branches still awaiting rulings from the provincial dispute resolution committee.

The Court’s Finding

The applicants argued that the ANC’s actions violated:

• Their constitutional rights as citizens

• Their contractual rights under the party’s constitution, rules, and directives

The court agreed, declaring the conference unlawful, unconstitutional, and in violation of ANC procedures.

An interim interdict was granted, barring the convening of the conference.

What’s Next

The matter is set down for a hearing today.

The Bottom Line

The conference was supposed to happen this weekend. Now it’s blocked.

The court found the verification report was issued too late. Branches were excluded. Disputes were unresolved.

The ANC’s internal processes have failed and the courts have stepped in.