Court orders ANC to hand over branch meeting data

The High Court in KuGompo City (East London) has ordered the African National Congress to provide raw data sought by members who challenged the conduct of branch general meetings ahead of the party's provincial elective conference.

The court directed the ANC to submit the information to the registrar within 10 days and to pay the applicants' legal costs, the SABC and other news outlets reported.

The challenge followed complaints about branch general meetings held in preparation for the conference, which was scheduled for March before it was interdicted.

The applicants alleged manipulation of processes, the harvesting of identity-document information and fraudulent activity.

Their attorney, Sinawo Mkhangela, said the applicants welcomed the judgment and had obtained the information they approached the court to secure.

He said the ANC would now have to provide branch attendance registers covering 2025 and 2026, bringing the outstanding legal process closer to completion.

Mkhangela said the costs had been awarded on scale B rather than as ordinary costs, which he took as an indication of the court's dissatisfaction with how the matter had been handled.