Mpho Ramakatsa, Tumiso Mbethe, Majoro Mpuru, Elisha Mbangula, Cecilia Chaka and Ntshiwa Marolloane want the court to order the dissolution of the executive committee that was elected in June.

They have already been to court twice – and lost. In their first application in the Free State High Court, they tried to obtain an urgent interdict against the provincial conference that happened in Parys in June.

That application was struck off the roll because Judge BC Mocumie found it lacked urgency.

Their second application, for dissolution, was dismissed with costs by Judge MH Rampai last month.

Now they have applied to the Constitutional Court to hear their arguments, and the matter has been set down on the court roll for Tuesday.

The applicants’ lawyer, Advocate Dali Mpofu, told City Press the matter was a class action because 5 000 people had listed themselves as having an interest in the matter.

The court will first have to decide whether to grant the group leave to appeal Rampai’s ruling. If that is granted, it will hear the merits of the case.

The ANC’s provincial spokesperson, Oupa Khoabane, said the applicants were trying to prevent the Free State ANC from attending the Mangaung conference in its own back yard.

“We view with serious concern the manner in which the applicants are hellbent on taking the ANC to any judicial institution they think of,” Khoabane said.

But, he added: “Whatever the outcome of the court, we will respect that and chart the way forward based on the judgment.”