News24.com | ANC Free State delegate tags 'snatched' during commotion at registration centre

ANC delegates at plenary during the party's national elective conference. Photo: Deaan Vivier

• Free State delegates' tags were 'snatched' when a scuffle broke out at the ANC's registration centre on Saturday. 
• Other challenges experienced during registration included poor network and load shedding.
• A total of 4426 voting delegates will determine who becomes the next leader of the ANC. 

ANC Free State delegates' tags were snatched during a commotion at the party's national conference registration centre in Johannesburg. 

While delivering the credentials report, Senzo Mchunu noted that there was "one unfortunate incident [that] happened during registration, where a fight broke out among Mangaung delegates."

He said that during the commotion, "someone grabbed and ran away with the Free State delegate tags." The party was then forced to recreate the Free State tags based on "different colours". 

According to the credentials report, other challenges experienced included problems with the "new system of registration, poor network in the venue, poor process flow, equipment, and load shedding".

Registration started on Wednesday, with the largest part occurring on Thursday, causing several delays. 

ROLLING COVERAGE | Follow the latest on the ANC elective conference 

Mchunu said registration only closed at 15:30.

Voting delegates

A total of 4426 voting delegates would determine who becomes the next leader of the ANC. 

The report noted that 99% of the expected delegates had been registered by the time the conference got underway. The largest delegation to the conference is KZN, with 876 delegates registered, followed by the Eastern Cape and Limpopo.

During his address to the media on Saturday, ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe remained adamant that despite the delays, the conference would complete its work. 

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