Chronicle Editor
East London — Blood-stained floor tiles, broken chairs, stun grenades and bloodied delegates characterised the ANC Eastern Cape’s elective conference on Saturday night.
One delegate was taken to hospital on a stretcher, while seven others were rushed from the scene by ambulance.
News24 has confirmed that disgruntled delegates applied to the high court to interdict the conference. The matter was expected to be heard later yesterday.
“How can we continue when our delegates are in hospital. We cannot let this conference continue. We will go to court if we have to,” one delegate said.
Some delegates had earlier cried foul over the registration process, with claims of unauthorised members being allowed to participate in the event.
The party demanded that all delegates produce identity documents before entering the venue.
ANC provincial executive committee member Mlibo Qoboshiyane told reporters that the violence erupted during the adoption of credentials at around midnight, when delegates demanded to know what happened to some of the branches and their members.
“Because . . . we [have] too [many] altercations when it comes to that, there was a proposal that there must be division of the house, which did not sit well with the branches,” he said.
“They started to sing up until there was division of the house. Then we saw chairs flying and people get injured.
“Some had to rush [out] for their safety, they were trampled upon and indeed there were injuries that happened.”
He said the conference would continue despite the incident.— Sapa.
Online Reporter