Mbalula slams North West ANC region for defying court interdict

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. Picture: Gallo Images / Sharon Seretlo ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has severely reprimanded the leadership of the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region in North West and demanded an explanation for proceeding with a regional conference late last month, despite a court interdict. The elective conference, supposed to be held on 30 April, was temporarily halted after two concerned party members successfully applied for a court interdict to prevent it from going ahead.

However, the regional leadership decided to defy the court order and asked delegates to gather and proceed. ANC interim regional coordinator Walter Mabogola was fingered for allegedly instructing the delegates to assemble for the official opening of the conference in total disregard of the court order. In a letter to theANC North Westprovincial secretary, Louis Diremelo, and Mabogola, Mbalula demanded that the region submit to his office a sworn written explanation no later than last Saturday about which party constitutional and statutory authority empowered them to issue a notice to hold the conference of 30 April.

Mbalula said the conference was irregular and neither sanctioned by his office nor by the ANC. Therefore, the elected regional executive committee and the resolutions adopted ere were to be suspended forthwith. All resolutions and actions of the interdicted conference were suspended pending the final court decision on whether the interdict may be appealed, which is due to be heard this Friday. “The movement’s discipline requires that, even when decisions of the courts are perceived to be in error, the proper response is to invoke the appellate procedures provided by the Superior Courts Act, not to disregard the court’s authority,” Mbalula wrote.