The ANC Nelson Mandela Bay region has failed to meet the 70% threshold for qualified branches required to hold a regional elective conference, resulting in a fourth postponement.
The conference was scheduled to take place this weekend.
Instead, ANC regional task team co-ordinator (RTT) Siphiwo Tshaka wrote to the party’s provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukaitobi on Monday to inform him about the postponement.
In the letter, Tshaka said the cancellation was due to branches that had filed disputes and were waiting for the results of their appeals.
“We must bring to your attention our frustrations with the process of the appeals, which the PDRC [provincial dispute resolution committee] has not been able to resolve since June 2025, and this hampers our preparations with regard to the conference.
“In light of the above, we are requesting a bilateral [meeting] between the [ANC] provincial officials and the Nelson Mandela Bay RTT officials on Monday or at your earliest convenience.”
On Monday, Tshaka said they postponed the conference pending the outcome of the appeals.
“There are branches that have not resolved their appeals, some of them were lodged as far back as June.
“Without these branches, we don’t reach the 70% threshold required for qualifying branches to be able to go to the conference.
“The affected branches are part of those that passed the verification based on the latest report.”
Tshaka would not say how many branches were affected or needed to reach the 70% threshold.
He said there was no new date for the conference.
“We haven’t set a new date yet because there’s no assurance of how the PDRC will deal with these matters.
“This is the fourth time we are changing the conference date, and all those instances had to do with the verification report and appeals.
“So we decided not to set a date to allow the PDRC to deal with the outstanding issues.
“There is also one member or branch that has escalated their matter to the NDRC, so we have to wait for this process.”
In his latest verification report dated September 8, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula confirmed that the region was one branch short of the required threshold, with 41 of its 60 branches now in good standing.
It is understood that some of the appeals came after the September 8 verification report.
The elective conference is expected to be hotly contested, particularly for the chair position, which will give the winner significant influence over the running of City Hall.
Lobishe, elected regional chair in 2021, faces stiff competition from former ally-turned-rival Luyolo Nqakula, who was elected secretary with her.
She is also the mayor of the city.
Other contenders for the position of chair are former ANC Youth leader and seasoned administrator Sabelo Nkuhlu and ANC Bay chief whip Wandisile Jikeka.
The ANC holds three of the four most powerful seats in the council — mayor, chief whip and speaker.
It is also the majority party in the coalition in charge of the city.
Lobishe’s camp is supporting Lufefe Mkutu for deputy chair, Siphiwo Tshaka for secretary, with Nontombi Nama for deputy secretary and Luvuyo Mini seeking a second term as treasurer.
Nqakula’s camp is supporting Sicelo Mleve as deputy chair, Zola Mayedwa as secretary, Nokuthula Maswana as deputy secretary and Samkelo Dlulani as treasurer.
Nqakula stepped aside from his post as secretary in 2022.
He was charged with allegations that he had bribed former DA councillors to oust Athol Trollip as mayor in 2018.
The matter is still in court.
Ngcukaitobi could not be reached for comment by the time of publication.
Meanwhile, the ANC’s Dr WB Rubusana elective conference in Buffalo City has also been postponed.
While the ANC in BCM had met its 70% threshold, unresolved branch general meeting disputes have delayed it.
The Herald
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