Johannesburg - The affected provincial and regional ANC executives who were nullified by recent court judgments will not vote at the ANC's national elective conference, secretary general Gwede Mantashe says.
Mantashe and party spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the media on Saturday that the party's national executive committee resolved to err on the side of caution over the nullified provinces and region.
The NEC met for a special sitting at 08:00 on Saturday to discuss the effects of the court judgments.
"The decision taken there is that the Free State, KZN and Bojanala [region in the North West], all the structures that are nullified will not be voting delegates at conference," Mantashe said.
"We are not going to try any idea that will actually contaminate [the] conference."
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The two provinces affected include the PECs of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as the Bojanala regional executive committee, all strongholds of presidential candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Supporters of Dlamini-Zuma's candidacy, including the ANC Youth and Women's Leagues, criticised the judgments.
The total delegates, and therefore votes, affected could amount to 100.
However, those PEC members who were also nominated as branch delegates will be allowed to vote on behalf of their branches, Mantashe said.
All affected PEC members and delegates will still be allowed to participate in other aspects of the conference, including commissions to discuss policy positions.
Mantashe also announced that the conference will start at 14:00, with outgoing president Jacob Zuma's political report. This is a five-hour delay from the original time.
The last region still to be registered were delegates from Tshwane.
While the delegates were registering on Friday, threats of further legal action emerged from the Free State.
A letter, seen by News24, represents ANC members from four regions in the province: Fezile Dabi, Xhariep, Lejweleputswa and Mangaung.
It warned the embattled Free State executive committee that should they participate in voting and "contaminate" the national conference, they would approach the courts.
ANC SG Gwede Mantashe giving feedback on the ANC's NEC meeting. #ANCvotes #ANC54 (@ssharim) pic.twitter.com/CLsYVp0fAL
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ANC SG @GwedeMantashe1 and spokesperson @zizikodwa exiting media briefing. #ANCVotes #ANC54 (@PaulHermanCPT) pic.twitter.com/01A0ObvRdM
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