Attempt to delay ANC's Northern Cape elective conference is 'factionalism and nothing else' - Saul

• The ANC in the Northern Cape is expected to host its ninth provincial conference from 28 to 30 May.
• The provincial chairperson said the move to delay the conference was motivated by factionalism.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be the keynote speaker at the conference.

The ANC leadership in the Northern Cape says it is ready to hold its ninth elective conference, which is expected to take place next weekend.

It will commence despite legal attempts to have it delayed by some disgruntled ANC members in the province.

Speaking to News24 on Thursday, provincial chairperson Zamani Saul said the move by some of members of the Francis Baard Region was baseless, and was motivated by factionalism. 

Saul said:

His remarks come after an urgent High Court application by four members of the Francis Baard Region to interdict the provincial conference from taking place.

In an affidavit, seen by News24, the four members applied to have the branch biennial general meetings, conducted this year, declared unlawful, unconstitutional and in breach of the ANC constitution. 

The court document stated:

Saul, who is set to be elected for a second term, said it was all systems go for the provincial conference next week.

He added President Cyril Ramaphosa had committed to being the keynote speaker. 

"We are going to the provincial conference. It's all systems go on the move now towards the conference. We've got the last regional conference, which starts tomorrow {Friday]. We already had four regional conferences and then the last starts tomorrow [Friday]. So next week, we go to the provincial conference."

With only a few days left before the conference, Saul said the interdict would not delay anything.

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He added nothing would stop the conference from taking place.

Saul said the Northern Cape was the first province to host regional conferences using the new membership and national executive committee guidelines, adding branches had already nominated their preferred candidates.

"Branches nominated and, for now, we won't know who is nominated. But there were nominations that took place from 160 branches and we'll see it when we get to the conference, and after the independent electoral commission has consolidated everything."