The ANC’s Eastern Cape elective conference will not go ahead this weekend after the East London High Court granted an interim interdict on Thursday.
The conference was scheduled to run until Sunday in KuGompo City, but a last-minute legal challenge brought by ANC members in the province has put it on ice.The members approached the court on an urgent basis, citing a string of irregularities in the lead-up to the conference.
Chief among their concerns were alleged irregularities in the convening of Branch General Meetings, the unlawful issuing of QR codes and the manipulation of the party’s membership system.
They also wanted the court to overturn the approval given by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula last week and cancel the final verification report.
Two separate urgent applications were filed to stop the conference.
In the first, ANC members Lwazi Rotya, Sinethemba Mpande and Nompumelelo Mzotywa approached the court seeking an interdict.
In the second, a group of party members from the Joe Gqabi region — Obedient Coetzee, Zwelithini Goodwill Mqokwana, Yandiswa Zweni, Nomalungisa Hona, Siyabulela Nxozi and Nontutuzelo Hlanjwa — filed a similar application.The ANC’s provincial executive committee said 535 out of 554 branches had met the requirements to participate in the conference, clearing the 70% threshold needed for the conference to proceed.
But the applicants argued there was no proof from the party’s electronic membership system to confirm who was eligible, and that Mbalula’s report was issued too late to be credible.
Acting Judge Babalo Metu ruled in their favour, ordering that the respondents be “interdicted and restrained from holding the provincial elective conference of the Eastern Cape Province of the African National Congress, scheduled to be held from March 26-29 2026”.
The court further ordered the respondents to comply with the ANC’s governance instruments.
This included its conference guidelines and constitution, pending the finalisation of the outstanding relief sought.
The first to third respondents, the ANC, PEC and Mbalula, were ordered to pay the costs of the application.
The matter was heard on Wednesday.
The ANC has wasted no time in pushing back, already having filed an appeal against the interdict.
The party argues the court was wrong to block the conference and to grant a costs order against the respondents.