Conference News

Information on the ANC 52nd National Conference, 16-20 December 2007

Number 3, October 2007

• Choosing The Best Cadres To Lead Transformation
• Conference to Look at Building a Caring Society
• Allocation Of Branch Delegates Completed
• A Quick Guide To Conference / 3 - The National Leadership and How It's Elected?

Choosing The Best Cadres To Lead Transformation

The process of selecting the best cadres to lead the organisation is beginning in October with branch discussions on nominations for the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC).

All ANC branches in good standing, as determined by the membership audit, will be holding branch general meetings (BGMs) to discuss and make nominations for the NEC. These BGMs need to be attended by a majority of branch members.

The process of nominations for the NEC has been set in motion with the appointment of the Electoral Commission, which will oversee the process.

The NEC confirmed the electoral procedure and rules based on the ANC Constitution. Nominations will start in branch general meetings from the beginning of October, and will be consolidated into provincial nominations at Provincial General Councils.

In line with the Constitution, each province and each league will be expected to submit nominations for each of the Officials' positions and the 60 additional NEC members. This should happen by no later than 26 November 2007.

The members of the Electoral Commission are Cdes Henry Makgothi, Ruth Mompati, Mochubela Seekoe, Laloo Chiba, Ben Turok, Benson Fihla, Essop Jassat, Bertha Gxowa, Rosalia Morutuoa, Makho Njobe, Rashaka Ratshitanga and Gertrude Shope.

In discussing nominations for the NEC, branches should be guided, among other things, by the discussion document 'Through the Eye of a Needle' on choosing the best cadres to lead development.

In its September meeting, the NEC noted the intensive campaign, reflected in both the domestic and international media, to reduce the Conference to no more than a leadership election, a "power struggle" that has nothing to do with the ANC's policies and programmes.

The NEC agreed that this campaign should not distract structures from discussing the substantive issues of policy and programmes that arose from the Policy Conference.

Nor should it influence the proper, necessary and important processes that must happen within ANC structures to nominate and ultimately elect the NEC.

The organisation has agreed procedures for the nomination and election of members of the NEC. These are well known to all members, having evolved through the long-standing democratic practices and traditions of the movement.

In a special message to ANC members, the NEC said the organisation should reclaim the debate about who its leaders should be.

It said it was important to reiterate some principle matters:

• There is only one ANC, and only one elected ANC national leadership collective. This is as much true of the present as it will be after National Conference.
• All cadres should respect and uphold the collective decisions of the ANC membership, as reflected in the resolutions and outcomes of National Conference.
• Members and structures should be prepared to persuade others and be persuaded by others about the suitability of candidates. They should do so openly and honestly, informed by a desire to arrive at a leadership collective that is most capable of responding to the challenges of the next five years.
• The ANC has long been characterised by its ability to combine diversity and unity. A divergence of views within the organisation, whether on leadership candidates or on any other matter, is not the same as an organisation divided.
• The power to elect the leadership of the ANC lies with its membership. This membership must be given the space and the opportunity to exercise this right at National Conference, free from any outside interference and in a manner that serves to build and unite the movement.

The conference is taking place at the University of Polokwane in Limpopo on 16-20 December 2007.

CONFERENCE TO LOOK AT BUILDING A CARING SOCIETY

Among its principle tasks, the ANC's 52nd National Conference needs to review the progress of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) over the last five years, and set the tasks of the organisation up to its centenary in 2012.

The NEC therefore adopted the following as the theme for the Conference: "Building a caring society. Advancing in unity towards 2012."

ALLOCATION OF BRANCH DELEGATES COMPLETED

The allocation of branch delegates has been completed. All branches in good standing as at 30 June 2007 are entitled to send delegates to Conference.

Branch delegates are allocated to each province in proportion to their total membership. Each provincial allocation is then divided among all branches in good-standing in proportion to the branch's membership.

The 3,675 branch delegate spaces are divided among the provinces as follows:

• Eastern Cape 906
• Free State 363
• Gauteng 354
• KwaZulu Natal 608
• Limpopo 400
• Mpumalanga 325
• North West 280
• Northern Cape 220
• Western Cape 219

Branches will be informed of their delegate allocation, and will elect their delegates in BGMs during the month of October.

A QUICK GUIDE TO CONFERENCE / 3
THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND HOW IT'S ELECTED?

One of the tasks of the National Conference is to elect the national leadership of the ANC.

According to the Constitution, the ANC National Executive Committee:

• is the highest decision-making structure of the ANC between National Conferences;
• is elected by secret ballot by the National Conference;
• holds office for five years;
• consists of:
  • the President, Deputy President, National Chairperson, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and Treasurer General (known as the Officials),
  • sixty additional members,
  • the Chairperson and the Secretary of each ANC province,
  • the Presidents and Secretaries General of the ANC Women's League and Youth League;
• must be comprised of at least one-third women.

A person must be a paid-up member of the ANC for at least five years before they can be nominated to the NEC.

Of these, the Officials and the 60 additional members are elected at Conference.

The process for the election of the NEC begins at the branches, involving all members in choosing their national leadership. This process typically includes the following:

• The NEC appoints an Electoral Commission of no fewer than three people to:
  • prepare the ballot papers
  • make provision for ballot boxes or other means of secret voting,
  • create machinery for the counting of ballot papers and the effective supervision of the counting of votes,
  • announce the results of all ballots and make known the number of votes received by each successful candidate,
  • establish procedures for voting and determine any dispute raised in regard to elections and election procedures, and to determine how any tied vote should be resolved.
• The commission sets out a timetable, with deadlines, for structures to meet, discuss and make nominations for the NEC.
• Following discussions in structures, each ANC province and each league submits nominations for each of the Officials' positions and for the 60 additional positions. Each nominee is expected to indicate acceptance of nomination in writing.
• Once Conference starts, the Electoral Commission is strengthened by a representative from each of the provinces and the leagues.
• When the nominations are placed before National Conference, any voting delegate may make additional nominations from the floor. A nomination will only be included on the ballot form if it is seconded by at least 25% of voting delegates.
• Voting then takes place by secret ballot, first for each of the Officials' positions, and then for the 60 additional positions.
• In the case of the Officials, each voting delegate will cast one vote for each position.
• In the case of the additional positions, each voting delegate can cast up to 60 votes.
• The Electoral Commission oversees the counting process and announces the results to the conference.

In Conference News 4: Overview of policy process / Checklist for delegates