Late BCM list meeting for ANC starts

The ANC in the Dr WB Rubusana region (Buffalo City Metro) has finally been able to convene its long-awaited list conference. 

The party convened the conference at the Alexandra Golf Club in Greenfields yesterday. It was initially meant to take place on Monday, but was postponed.

Party members who spoke to the Daily Dispatch earlier alleged the delay was due to divisions, but the regional leadership denied the claims.

Registration of participating ANC members got off to a slow start at Robbie De Lange Hall in Greenfields yesterday.

It was supposed to begin at 3pm, but when the Dispatch arrived at the registration venue only a handful of people were present.

The process finally started after 5.45pm after a long wait by a number of ANC members who braved East London’s chilly weather last night.

Deputy Buffalo City Metro mayor and Dr WB Rubusana regional chairman Xola Pakati arrived at the registration venue just after 6pm, where the Dispatch saw only one provincial executive committee (PEC) deployee – Helen Sauls-August.

Suspended regional secretary Pumlani Mkolo was there at the venue, sharing jokes with some of the party members.

Speaking with the Dispatch this week regional secretary Mkhawuleli Maleki said that the BCM region was among regions that had yet to hold their list conference, leading up to the local government election in August.

Last week the highly contested Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) region held its list conference.

This week The Herald reported that current NMBM mayor Danny Jordaan was likely to retain his post after he was voted to top the party’s list.

This is contrary to his BCM counterpart Alfred Mtsi. The Dispatch understands that the lucrative top spot position on the list favours the current BCM deputy mayor, Pakati.