PREPARATIONS FOR THE ANC NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Issued by African National Congress

5 December 2002

Ninety years ago this year, in the town of Mangaung in the Free State, representatives from across South Africa met to constitute a ‘Parliament of the People’.

In less than two weeks, on 16 December, this ‘Parliament of the People’ – the African National Congress – will convene at the University of Stellenbosch to hold its 51st National Conference.

This 51st Conference, eight years after the democratic breakthrough in 1994, will be a milestone event in the history of our movement and our people. After months of extensive discussions across the length and breadth of South Africa, delegates will gather in Stellenbosch, mindful of the immense responsibility on their shoulders – to represent not only ANC branches and members, but the aspirations and hopes of our people.

The 51st Conference, building on the work done at the National Policy Conference in September 2002, will review progress made towards our vision of a truly, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society. Conference will further debate decisive measures to address unemployment and poverty and what more we need to do towards nation-building. At the heart of these discussions will be our commitment as a movement to achieve people-centred development and build a caring society.

Conference will also assess progress with the implementation of our vision of the African Renaissance, as elaborated at our last Conference in Mafikeng in 1997. Important developments such as the launch of the African Union and the adoption of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development will be discussed, with the participation of fraternal parties from the continent, and other international participants.

Less than eighteen months after we hold this conference, our country will celebrate the tenth anniversary of liberation. When this important moment comes, we must be able to measure in quantifiable ways the progress we have made during the first decade of liberation. This last lap to that anniversary should also inspire us to ensure that we use people's power in action more effectively further to advance quicker towards the goals of a better life for all and a truly transformed South Africa.

Delegates will be mindful that we are meeting in the year of our 90th anniversary. They will reflect on the values and traditions that have maintained the ANC as a people’s movement and a leader of the progressive forces in the country. The discussions and debate on our Strategy and Tactics, on building the ANC and on constitutional amendments must therefore focus on what we need to do to strengthen the capacity and effectiveness of the ANC as an agent for change – towards the centenary anniversary of the ANC in 2012.

We will be mindful that the eyes of our people, the country and indeed our continent will be on this Conference of the ANC. Conference will therefore set on its business with the single-mindedness of the historic mission of the ANC – to create a better life for all South Africa’s people, and to fight for a better Africa and world.

Credentials

Ninety-percent of all voting delegates at National Conference are branch representatives. Over the last few weeks, Branch General Meetings have been held in over 2,000 ANC branches to elect these delegates and mandate them to represent the views of the branch.

The 3 397 voting delegates at Conference will be constituted as follows:

• Branch delegates 3 061
• National Executive Committee 68
• ANC Women’s League 53
• ANC Youth League 53
• Provincial Executive Committees 162(18 per province)

As required by the ANC Constitution, the allocation of branch delegate spaces to each province, and within each province to each branch, is proportional to the verified, paid-up membership of each province and each branch in good standing.

There will also be 400 non-voting delegates, which will include two representatives from each of the ANC’s 53 Regional Executive Committees, Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Legislatures, Mayors of strategic councils, veterans and cadres deployed in various other sectors.

Conference will be attended by 170 Observers from the Tripartite Alliance, other organisations of the Mass Democratic Movement, fraternal parties from across the world, and South African non-governmental organisations.

In addition, there will be 200 Guests from within South Africa and internationally.

Nominations

In addition to reviewing the policies and programme of the organisation, National Conference elects the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC), which holds office for five years and is the highest decision-making structure of the movement between Conferences.

Conference elects the six Officials – President, Deputy President, National Chairperson, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, Treasurer General – and 60 other members of the NEC.

In terms of the ANC Constitution, each province may make nominations for each of the six Officials’ positions and for the 60 other members. On the instruction of the 1997 National Conference in Mafikeng, the NEC considered a proposal to allow the ANC Women’s League and Youth League the same right of nomination. The NEC will therefore propose to National Conference a constitutional amendment giving the Leagues the right to nominate for the ANC NEC.

The nominations and election process is overseen by an Electoral Commission composed of long-standing and respected members of the ANC. The Electoral Commission is chaired by Barbara Masekela and Raymond Mhlaba is the Deputy Chairperson. None of the members of the Electoral Commission is making themselves available for election to the NEC.

The process of nominations begins in the branches, with Branch General Meetings held to make nominations. These nominations are first consolidated at Regional General Councils, at which all branches in a region are represented. The final nominations from a province are consolidated at Provincial General Councils (PGCs), at which all branches are nominated. The nominations from the Leagues follow a similar process, and are finalised by the NECs of each of the Leagues.

To date, all provinces, with the exception of the Eastern Cape, have held PGCs to finalise their nominations. Each of the Leagues have held NEC meetings. The Electoral Commission has received all of these nominations, and will produce a consolidated list of nominations following the submission of the Eastern Cape nominations. The province is scheduled to hold its PGC on Sunday, 8 December.

The consolidated list of nominations will be presented to Conference. At that point, any voting delegate will have the opportunity to make further nominations for any of the six Officials’ positions or for the 60 other NEC members. Each nomination made in this way must receive the support of at least 25% of voting delegates, by show of hands, in order to be included on the ballot.

Voting will take place by secret ballot, first for each of the six Officials’ positions and then for the 60 additional positions. The voting and counting process will be conducted by an independent agency, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa.

Logistics

Over 5 000 people will be in attendance at the University of Stellenbosch for the duration of Conference. In addition to the categories already mentioned, provision has had to be made for support staff, service providers, security and, most importantly, a large media contingent.

Accommodation has been arranged at the University, as well at a number of hotels and guest houses around the town of Stellenbosch and in Cape Town. Delegates will travel from their provinces in buses and trains. A number of observers and guests will also be travelling by air and in private vehicles. A large transport infrastructure is being put in place to ensure the movement of all participants between Conference venues, accommodation and Cape Town International Airport. Given the size of the University of Stellenbosch, and its integration into the town, participants using private cars will need to park at a central point and make use of a shuttle service to the Conference venues.

Given the significance and prominence of this event, there will be a significant security presence, and access to Conference venues will be strictly controlled. All participants have been required to register in advance and only registered participants will be allowed into the Conference area.

CREDENTIALS

Summary of categories

Programme