Gauteng ANC secretary David Makhura said there were incidents of intimidation in about 10 of the province’s 383 branches that had already convened their meetings to nominate delegates for the ANC’s elective conference, and the party’s potential national leaders.

The party has 476 branches in the province, and 80% of them have successfully concluded their branch general meetings.

Makhura said the party knew the people involved in the disruptions, which he said were out of line with the party’s constitution.

Some members of the Mkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association were reportedly accused of intimidating those who did not want to nominate President Jacob Zuma for re-election on Gauteng’s East Rand.

However, MKMVA leaders have dismissed the claims.

Said Makhura: “Most of the branches were able to convene and conduct their meetings in a climate characterised by mutual respect and utmost discipline among members of the ANC.”

The provincial ANC leadership nominated Zuma’s deputy, Kgalema Motlanthe, for the position of party president, and Tokyo Sexwale as his second-in-command when the nominations opened.

ANC general secretary Gwede Mantashe yesterday criticised the tendency of provincial leaders to pronounce on their nomination of leaders ahead of branches.

Makhura said he welcomed Mantashe’s criticism, but suggested that this was now water under the bridge.

Gauteng is expected to hold its provincial nomination conference next week, where it will consolidate the list of its preferred candidates for the 80-member national executive committee.

Most of the provinces are expected to do the same.

Makhura also came out in support of the provincial government’s demolition of houses that have been built on illegally acquired state land.

He blamed crime syndicates of conniving with government officials to sell the land.

“We call on the victims of the illegal sale of land to cooperate with government at all levels in order to bring to an end these criminal acts,” Makhura said.

However, the SA Communist Party and Cosatu have slammed the latest round of demolitions in Lenasia.

The two ANC allies said they suspected the “current spate of house demolitions was a ploy by a coalition of corrupt forces to undermine and attack the integrity of the (SA) Human Rights Commission”, which has applied for a court interdict to stop the tearing down of houses.