By JN Reporter

African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, has ordered a rerun of Mangaung regional conference after the initial gathering was abruptly abandoned at the eleventh hour over serious procedural irregularities.

In a letter sent to national deployee, Thandi Moraka, and provincial secretary, Polediso Motsoeneng, Mbalula directed that the conference be rerun on “a re-verified branch base, a re-issued Credentials Report and a properly signed-off voters’ roll.” The move follows last week’s nullification of the fiercely contested conference, where battles for control of metro resources and provincial influence intensified amid allegations of credential irregularities.

The letter, seen by Journal News, states that all procedural decisions taken during the abandoned conference have been nullified, including the adoption of a credentials report for 260 voting delegates.

“Every act purporting to flow from the day — the adoption of the Credentials Report (260 voting delegates), the unopposed declaration in respect of the Regional Treasurer, the cast and counted ballots, and every other procedural step — is set aside and of no force or effect. No certificate of outcome shall issue, no MMS update of any purported office-bearer shall be effected, and no public communication shall be made on the strength of those proceedings,” Mbalula wrote.

He said his office found that an unsigned voters’ roll, failure to reconcile the attendance register with the adopted credentials report, eight excess ballots beyond the 260 accredited delegates, and lapses in venue access control had fatally undermined the conference’s credibility.

“Accordingly, the proceedings of 30 April 2026 are, with immediate effect, recorded as abandoned… not duly concluded and not capable of producing any binding outcome,” he said.

Mangaung’s rerun 8th Regional Conference is now scheduled for 25 and 26 May 2026.