DISGRUNTLED members of the ANC in Free State are expected to approach the Constitutional Court today in an attempt to have the leadership of chairman Ace Magashule nullified.

About seven ANC members are also to seek relief in the court that Magashule and his executive stay away from the December 16 ANC national conference, should the court battle drag on pastthat date.

This is the third legal challenge by the group seeking to have the conference declared "unconstitutional, null and void" .

"We would seek that relief if the matter goes beyond what's expected," said spokesman for the members Mpho Ramakatsa.

In their papers to be filed with the court today, the group proposes that their matter be heard on November 26. Should the court rule in their favour, all processes including regional and provincial conferences will have to be re-run.

Ramakatsa said papers were yesterday served on ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and the other respondents in the matter, including the entire Free State provincial executive committee.

The group resolved to file papers with the Constitutional Court after the Bloemfontein High Court dismissed their application, on a technicality, two weeks ago.

However, the provincial leadership has consistently charged that this was a case of adisgruntled faction who lost the election.

ANC Free State secretary William Bulwane demanded Ramakatsa and his people to first pay all legal costs of R440000 incurred in the high court, as per the judgment when their case was dismissed.

Bulwane dismissed threats that they could be excluded from the conference, saying the ANC has its own processes and was not run by the courts.

Ramakatsa yesterday emphasised their failed court bid had nothing to do with Mangaung but rather was about saving the soul of the ANC.

"This is bigger than Mangaung. Mangaung is just an event in the history of the ANC. This is about restoring dignity, the transparent and democratic nature of the ANC," he said.