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Oscar Mabuyane has been elected the new chair of the ANC in the Eastern Cape in a conference marred by violence in the early hours of this morning as delegates physically assaulted each other as they could not agree on credentials.
Mabuyane won by 935 votes against former chair Phumulo Masualle who only managed seven. The results were announced this morning after voting throughout the night.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to address the conference delegates who are mainly his supporters ahead of the ANC national conference where he is vying for the position of president against former AU commission chair, Nkosazana-Dlamini-Zuma.
Meanwhile this morning supporters of Masualle gathered at the East London City Hall where they planned their next move.
The conference degenerated into chaotic violent scenes in the early hours of this morning.
The violence started inside the plenary hall when delegates could not agree on the credentials. For hours supporters of Masualle and Mabuyane battled it out on the credentials report.
Sources within the conference claimed that it was mainly supporters of Masualle who caused havoc inside the conference and disrupted proceedings. The name of Andile Lungisa, who was contesting alongside Masualle to become provincial secretary, was said to have been at the centre of the disruptions.
A fight broke out between the two opposing factions, with the Masualle faction overpowered due to the dominance of the Mabuyane group in terms of numbers.
What followed was chaos with chairs used as weapons as delegates assaulted each other. Around midnight scores of ANC people – mostly those who support Masualle – were seen rushing out of the venue.
Paramedics had their hands full as they tried to provide first aid to those who were badly injured.
Shortly after the scuffle inside the plenary, delegates who were left behind decided to go ahead with the conference. All the NEC deployees to the conference remained inside the plenary hall while a small group that supports Masualle were outside, questioning how the meeting could continue under such circumstances.
Some of the NEC deployees present included Bheki Cele, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Lindiwe Zulu, Zizi Kodwa, Fikile Xasa, and Jackson Mthembu.
Sakhumzi Somyo chaired the meeting that degenerated into chaos and also appeared on the slate that wanted Masualle to remain as chair. Somyo did not return after the fracas. Masualle too did not return, as well as other members of the PEC.
After Somyo left the conference, deputy secretary Helen Sauls-August was tasked with completing the process of credentials. The credentials were this time adopted in less than five minutes without any issues.
Once the credentials were out of the way, Mthembu thanked the outgoing PEC for delivering a successful conference and asked them to leave the stage as their terms had officially ended and asked them to join the plenary. They were cheered as they made their way down to join the masses led by former provincial secretary Mabuyane.
It was then the turn of the electoral commission to take over the processes of the nomination. Both Mabuyane and Masualle had met the threshold to be nominated by branches as chairperson. Mabuyane was asked if he accepted the nomination for the position and he accepted to the pleasure of his supporters. All the other candidates on Mabuyane’s slate were also called and each accepted their nomination.
Masualle’s name was also called but he was not at the conference venue as well those who appeared on his slate.
The electoral commissioner then announced that according to procedures, those who were not at the venue but were nominated by branches would have to phoned and asked whether they accepted the nomination or not. This was then followed by the tabling of the organisational report by the provincial secretary.
Delegates then voted in a secret ballot where Mabuyane was elected chair as his slate cleaned out all the top five seats.
Eastern Cape ANC 8th Provincial Elective Conference Results:
Chairperson:
Oscar Mabuyane - 935,
Phumulo Masaulle - 7
Deputy Chairperson:
Mlungisi Mvoko: 925
Secretary:
Lulama Ngcukayitobi 931,
Andile Lungisa- 03
Deputy Secretary:
Helen Sauls August - 936
Andile Lungisa - 7
Treasurer:
Babalo Madikizela - 936,
Thandiswa Marawu - 5
