- ANC Eastern Cape provincial task team leaders have requested a meeting with ANC treasurer Paul Mashatile.
- The party was due to hold its provincial conference from 6 to 8 May in East London.
- A crucial meeting with Mashatile has raised fears of the conference again being postponed.
ANC Eastern Cape provincial task team leaders will meet with party officials on Wednesday, ahead of the province's crucial congress scheduled to take place over the weekend.
In a letter on Tuesday, ANC Eastern Cape provincial task team coordinator Lulama Ngcukayitobi requested an urgent meeting with ANC treasurer Paul Mashatile.
The letter stated that the meeting was to clarify issues on the participation of people who had outstanding matters with the national dispute resolution committee.
Two regions - DR WB Rubusana and Chris Hani - where some branches had been under investigation, would also be discussed.
Ngcukayitobi said the meeting would also outline conference readiness.
The request from the task team stirred speculation that the event might again be stalled - the matter of outstanding disputes had been a crucial factor in the conference, scheduled for April, being postponed.
Mashatile then gave the province a mandate for the conference to be held in May.
However, ANC Eastern Cape provincial task team spokesperson Loyiso Magqashela ruled out the possibility of another postponement.
He told News24 on Wednesday that the meeting with Mashatile was not an indication that the conference would be postponed.
Magqashela insisted that the Wednesday meeting, scheduled for 14:00, was intended to clarify outstanding disputes.
Magqashela said:
Magqashela added that the province was not ruling out the likelihood of further disputes being brought forward ahead of the conference.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape had previously played a crucial role in the party's conferences.
Candidates emerging victorious at this weekend's event would likely shape the province's strategy ahead of the ANC conference in December.
About 1 500 branch delegates were expected to participate in the conference, including the party's leagues and the task team.
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