Fraudulent manipulation of nomination processes and unconstitutional methods are allegedly being used to sideline branches in KwaZulu-Natal who do not support Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's bid for the ANC presidency, Business Day reported on Thursday.
Supporters of Deputy resident Cyril Ramaphosa have alleged that over 60 branches, including 30 in the eThekwini region, have lodged official complaints over the manipulation of nomination processes.
Last weekend, branch general meetings to nominate leaders for the ANC's elective conference in December got underway. ANC members have also accused government of using police and state resources to manipulate the process.
The high court in Kwazulu-Natal declared the 2015 elective conference which elected the present Provincial Executive Council (PEC) unlawful. According to TimesLive, the application was brought by supporters of Cyril Ramaphosa.
The divided province threatens to destabilise the conference, as it is the largest province in attendance. Daily Maverick reported that without the PEC at the conference, Dlamini-Zuma will lose her biggest supporters in the province.
A spokesman for the group that went to court to have the 2015 conference overturned, Sthembiso Mshengu, told Business Day that branch general meetings were being manipulated.
"Here in eThekwini, members who are in good standing are taken off the voters roll and prevented from attending meetings and when they do the metro police are let loose on them," he alleged.
One of the complaints was lodged by the SACP in the province. Allegations also surfaced that ANC supporters wearing SACP colours were prevented from attending ANC meetings.
The ANC in Kwazulu-Natal was reportedly unavailable for comment.