FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The African National Congress Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) met in a special meeting on the 16th of March 2026 to consider the state of readiness towards the 10th Provincial Conference, which will be held at the East London International Convention Centre. The PEC is satisfied that the province is ready to host its conference and is convinced that no postponement will be necessary, given the amount of work already done and the current level of readiness. The PEC is confident that the conference will be successful and will provide a platform for the ANC to discuss the future of the organization.
On Branches:
The PEC received a report stating that at least 554 branches had convened successfully by the end of the cut-off date of 15 March, which was set as a deadline for convening Branch General Meetings (BGMs) to nominate branch delegates to the Provincial Conference. 281 branches were verified to have successfully convened by the office of the Secretary-General as of the 6 March 2026, and the remaining 273 branches are awaiting verification from the head office. The PEC requested the office of the Secretary-General to conclude the verification report as soon as possible to ensure that the 7- to 14-day cooling-off period rule is observed in preparing for the provincial conference, as stated by Rule 5.1 of Appendix A of the revised ANC guidelines. Once the final verification report is released, an urgent special PEC meeting will be convened to process it and initiate pre-registration processes. The initial cut-off date for BGMs was from the 13th to the 08th of March and it was further extended to the 15th of March 2026; there will be no longer further extension except for branches ordered to rerun by the appeals and dispute resolution process. The PEC is pleased with the progress made so far and is confident that the branches are ready for the conference.
On Appeals/Disputes:
Of the total of 74 disputes received by the Provincial Dispute Resolution Committee (PDRC), 64 were resolved and concluded by the PDRC, while 10 remain to be concluded. Only a handful of less than 10 branches were escalated to the national dispute resolution platforms, and the PEC is confident that the national dispute resolution processes will be concluded timeously. The PEC is committed to ensuring that all disputes are resolved in a fair and transparent manner, and that the rights of all members are protected. The PEC will continue to work with the PDRC to resolve the remaining disputes.
On Voice Notes/Videos and ID Harvesting:
The PEC noted and condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the disturbing circulation of a video purportedly involving a PEC member and another comrade. The PEC received a report from officials that they are attending to the matter, and the PEC supported the officials on this initiative. The PEC calls on all members to exercise restraint and desist from such kinds of activities, and to respect the dignity and privacy of all individuals involved. The PEC will not tolerate any form of misconduct that undermines the integrity of the party and will take disciplinary action against those found guilty.
On the Abuse of Courts:
The PEC received an update indicating the abuse of court processes by some of its members, done in order to circumvent and alter the electoral outcomes of a democratic process within the ANC. While the ANC has confidence in our courts, it condemns the abuse of courts and calls on its members to observe internal rules and exhaust their rights within the party. The ANC has strengthened its policies to ensure that manipulation and circumvention of processes are done away with, and to protect the integrity of its democratic processes. The PEC will continue to work with the national leadership to address this issue and ensure that the party’s internal processes are respected.
On Misconduct by Some Structures:
The PEC noted that some members of Branch Executive Committees (BECs) deliberately refused to convene BGMs, and allegedly some members of the Regional Executive Committees (RECs) deliberately frustrated some branches from participating in the provincial conference, such as by withholding access to QR codes.
The PEC condemned this behaviour in the harshest possible terms and agreed to investigate such that those found to be involved in such conduct are brought to book. The PEC commended and supported structures for invoking Article J of the same guidelines, which allow for the REC and the PEC to invoke this rule where BECs fail to convene BGM and BBGM. The PEC will not hesitate to act against those involved in suchmisconduct.
On Social Media:
The ANC NEC adopted a social media policy that moves from a premise that all ANC structures and members will operate within the discipline and policies of the organisation whilst still expressly enjoying freedom of expression. The ANC believes that it is possible to express viewpoints without resorting to personal attacks and insults.
The ANC’s social media policy (Rule 36) requires posts to be legal, ethical, and respectful, while Rule 40 bans inflammatory language by members. We, therefore, find the recent upsurge in insults towards our leadership and our structures very disturbing. The use of social media platforms should always be in line with the ANC Constitution andCode of Conduct and seek to advance debates and discussions in a rational and responsible manner. To this end, we have impressed upon our structures to institute disciplinary processes against the instigators of disunity within the organisation, without delay.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Executive Committee is satisfied with the progress made towards the 10th Provincial Conference and is confident that the conference will be successful.
The PEC has addressed various matters, including branch readiness, disputes, and misconduct, and has reiterated its commitment to upholding the party’s values and principles. With the conference just around the cornernext week as per the PEC guidelines and roadmap, the PEC invites all members and stakeholders to participate and contribute to the discussions that will shape the ANC’s future direction in the province. The PEC looks forward to a successful and productive conference.
Issued by the ANC Eastern Cape
Comrade Yanga Zicina
ANC Eastern Cape Provincial Spokesperson
+27 (78) 640-2752
Media inquiries:
Comrade Gift Ngqondi
Head of Communications
+27 (84) 843-9706
