Free State ANC accedes to disband ‘prolonged’ Interim Committees

The African National Congress (ANC) in Free State has decided to disband the Interim Province Committee (IPC) as their mandate have lapsed.

The disgruntled group and the IPC leadership in the province said they will need to re-establish dysfunctional structures so that a provincial elective conference can continue in September.

On Friday, the High Court in Bloemfontein has struck off the roll an urgent application to disband the Free State ANC’s IPC.

Disgruntled ANC members in the Mangaung region dragged the party’s IPC to the High Court on ‘a matter of urgency’.

In their urgent application, the resentful group was questioning the status of the party’s IPC which was established in June last year, as they believed it has gone beyond the timeframe.

The applicants, Ditaba Mokhutle, Nozenza Cezulu and Thabiso Petrus Selienanes, said the ANC, breached its own constitution by delaying conferences and allowing the interim leadership to remain at the helm.  

They further urged the court to intervene in the party’s “neglect” in taking the necessary steps for new leadership to be elected in branches, regions and the province. 

Following the court judgement, the legal representatives for the IPC and three disgruntled ANC members reached an agreement to have the Mangaung Interim Regional Committee (IRC) and the IPC disbanded.

“The ANC welcomes the judgement in the court case instituted by Ditabe Mokhutle and others against the continued existence of the Interim Regional Committee of Mangaung,” the party welcomed the court judgement.

“The judgment re-emphasised the ANC constitutional prescripts that put the powers to establish and disestablish branches in the Provincial Structure, in this case the IPC,” said ANC Free State in a released statement.

Speaking to Kasi Voice News, the IPC’s spokesperson Oupa Khoabane said they are now on course to renew branches in line with the conferences roadmap set to kick-start this month until mid-August.

“Branches are expected to conduct Zivese campaign in order to allow all members to verify their membership status and Pre-BBGMs to prepare the process to have branch conferences,” Khoabane revealed to Kasi Voice News.

The infight that ensued between loyalists of the now-suspended ANC secretary general Ace Magashule, and the province’s interim leadership emanated in 2021.