The registration process at the ANC’s Free State elective conference had to be temporarily suspended after violence marred the first day.
The conference taking place at the Imvelo Safari Lodge has been delayed amid disputes over delegation lists.
The disputes escalated on Friday afternoon, resulting in clashes between ANC members and police, who allegedly fired rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas in the air.
Speaking to News24, the spokesperson of the Free State ANC’s interim provincial committee (IPC), Oupa Khoabane, confirmed the registration of the conference had been temporarily suspended.
According to Fannie Ledimo, the spokesperson of the ANC in Mangaung they did not know where the instruction for police to fire rubber bullets came from, things escalated after the arrival of Zizi Kodwa.
“We are very disappointed by what happened here. Everything started very well, there was calm, but only after the arrival of Zizi Kodwa that’s where we saw men in uniform becoming trigger happy,” said Ledimo.
“We don’t know if they did that because they were instructed or what, but we must say again that as disciplined members of the ANC, we were addressed by the IPC member who was here, that everything would be sorted out for these delegates to be here, they were not here to disrupt because we want the conference.
“The issue is that when they were there at the registration centre, they were told that there were people who had registered. They were asking themselves who are these people because yesterday they were addressed by the IPC coordinator telling them to come today. To our surprise when we got there, they were told that no, we’re done with your regions. So, we came here to see who are these delegates that are attending the conference on behalf of Mangaung delegates.”
ANC NEC member David Mahlobo said they decided to delay the conference to address the delegates grievances.
Source: The Citizen, News24, Business Day, Sowetan Live, Times Live, image from Twitter: @fscentralnews