Uncertainty over Magashule election may derail ANC conference

There was still uncertainty over the election of Ace Magashule as ANC secretary-general at its 54th national conference at Nasrec on Tuesday.

Supporters of newly elected ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa and his ally, Senzo Mchunu, had earlier raised concern that Magashule’s election was irregular.

Magashule and Mchunu were both vying for the position of secretary-general, which the former clinched on Monday by 2,360 votes to the later’s 2,336.

The group had first cited an irregular second count and then there was the issue of 63 ballots, said to be from Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, that went missing during the election of the top six leadership positions.

The bulk of the missing votes came from delegates said to be from Mchunu-allied branches, increasing speculation that these votes could easily overturn the 24-vote difference that separated the two candidates.

Mchunu’s backers indicated on Tuesday they were considering legal options too. Ramaphosa and Mchunu backers were preparing to raise the issue in the plenary session. However, Magashule and Zuma backers were prepared to fight back.

A decision on the position of the secretary-general should be announced on Wednesday, the last day of the conference. The new 80-member NEC is also likely to be announced.

Read the full story in Business Day