Two factions of the ANC in Johannesburg will meet at the High Court in Johanesburg on Wednesday where the party’s 2025 regional elective conference will be under scrutiny.
Lawyers representing senior ANC regional leader Stan Itshegetseng are challenging the validity of the elective conference that elected Loyiso Masuku chairperson of the ANC in Johannesburg.
Masuku won the conference with 184 votes, defeating Joburg mayor Dada Morero, who received 149 votes. The win was considered a clean sweep since most of those that were aligned to Masuku were elected as regional office bearers. Some made it as additional members of the regional executive committee (REC).
Itshgetseng has raised a number of what he believes are irregularities with that conference and that includes concerns that the owner of the company that presided over the elections is a City of Joburg employee.
What does Itshegetseng want from the court
According to an internal ANC communique Itshegetseng wants the REC to cease working. He also wants it to stop interacting with branches until the matter is finalised.
He further wants the REC to desist from taking any binding decisions in the party structures. He also wants the regional leaders to desist from interfering with governance appointments and related issues. He wants the court to set aside the results of the elective conference and appoint a regional task team until another conference is held.
Divisions in the ANC
The Citizen contacted the ANC in Gauteng to find out if it will be filing responding affidavits before the court date which is March 18. Provincial spokesperson Mzi Khumalo said the party will follow all the necessary court processes, but he refused to comment further.
Meanwhile, both Masuku and Morero have been silent on the matter despite them working at close proximity in the governance of the City of Joburg.
The Citizen understands that branches of the ANC that are in support of Itshgetseng’s case are expected to be at the court on Wednesday to show solidarity.
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Sanco
One of the ANC’s alliance partner’s the South African National Civic Association (Sanco) told The Citizen that they had noted some abnormal activities with the regional elective conference last year. But they said they chose not to interfere in ANC processes.
Morero ‘recalled’ by region
In response to the court action Masuku’s faction which dominates the REC had reportedly met on the weekend and decided that they want Morero recalled as mayor. They blamed him for the court action because they said he is associated with Itsgetseng.
What does this mean for the ANC?
Meanwhile, political analyst Levy Ndou told The Citizen that the biggest loser in this fight between the two factions is the ANC.
“Whichever way it goes the loser would be the ANC because they would have been unable to resolve their issues internally, they would have demonstrated that they do not have trust in the internal processes of their own party and of course they would be the losers at the end of the day,” he said.
Ndou said this conflict in the ANC in Johannesburg shows residents that the party is not united.
Ndou says the conflict also raises concerns about power mongering among ANC regional leaders. He further said the retaliation tactic to recall Morero is also not a positive move for the governance of the city.
“If you remove the mayor of the City of Joburg while there are a few months to go before elections then you are disrupting the governance of the city. You also create a space for other parties to challenge you because you are not united.
“Also, the ANC did not win the majority in Joburg so it’s not a given that by removing Morero you are going to get an ANC mayor so other parties can still come together and appoint someone,” he said.
Mbalula mum
The ANC secretary-general’s office has been silent on the matter since the news of the court case first surfaced on the weekend. The Citizen understands that there have been some complaints to the SG’s office on the same controversial conference.
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