Durban — ANC Women’s League senior member in KwaZulu-Natal Bongi Sithole-Moloi has urged all league members to accept the national leadership’s decision to nullify the election of the leadership of the disputed recent conference.
Sithole-Moloi, who is Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, contested the chairperson position but lost to Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza with a questionable three votes.
The results were challenged on the basis that the three votes did not tally with the verified voting delegates of 1 219.
During counting it was found that 1 222 delegates had voted which raised eyebrows about three extra 'ghost' delegates.
After deliberating on the dispute last week Friday, the national leadership of the league nullified the results and dissolved Khoza's leadership structure.
On Wednesday Sithole-Moloi said it was important for the members to understand the principles of democratic centralism where the upper structures’ decisions must be accepted and respected.
Her comments followed the rejection of the decision by Khoza’s side which at the weekend continued with its work although the decision had been taken on Friday and communicated. Khoza’s side had said since it had not yet been handed the letter, the status remained and they were still the league’s leadership.
Clarifying the matter in the media briefing on Tuesday, ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said since Khoza’s side has appealed the nullification decision, the league's conference results still stand and Khoza would continue as chairperson while awaiting the appeal’s outcome.
The conference that was held in Durban’s International Convention Centre from August 4 to 6 was allegedly marred by drama and allegations of vote rigging.
Apart from the votes not tallying, those who disputed it said there were three unexplained separate registers.
They said another strange thing was that unlike in other conferences, there was no national leader to close the conference.
EThekwini task team co-ordinator Mpume Mabaso, who lodged a dispute calling for the nullification of the results said under normal circumstances the conference would have been closed by either the league’s president or secretary-general.
She said the national leader would have declared the results and introduced the new leadership to the delegates and the public.
She said this never happened.
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