It’s been an anxious wait for ANC members, over the uncertainty regarding voting issues around the top six election.
But it’s been a busy past few hours: A heated debate over disputed votes is expected to come to plenary after lengthy meetings by the conference steering committee, voting for the 80 members of the ANC national executive committee has been concluded, the EleXion agency has started the marathon process of counting the votes, and the party’s conference is due to draw to a close this afternoon.
Member of the steering committee Jeff Radebe confirmed that the conference steering committee meeting continued into Tuesday night.
“We had a meeting last night, we received a report from electoral commission. The commission – which is responsible – will be able to give a report to the plenary this morning,” Radebe said.
The NEC is the highest decision-making body of the ANC between conferences – and both the new ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and defeated presidential candidate Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma are hoping to dominate it.
Read: ANC NEC a mixed bag of controversial figures, Zuma casualties
Meanwhile, ANC spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told News24 that the conference would not go on beyond December 20.
On today’s agenda are the commissions reporting back to the plenary in a closed session, followed by media briefings and then the announcmenct of the new NEC.
The conference will end off with a closing address by ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
Supporters of former KwaZulu-Natal ANC chairperson Senzo Mchunu, who lost out on the position of secretary general to Free State chair Ace Magashule by 24 votes, are reportedly considering legal action if the ANC does not include the disputed votes.