The African National Congress is starting its “dispute resolution process” in a bid to address the allegations that some of the party’s candidate list process ahead of the August local government elections had been manipulated.

Tension had escalated during the ANC‘s nomination process for candidates to contest the elections‚ which even saw some candidates killed. There were also protests over nomination lists‚ with ANC members in some communities claiming candidates were imposed on them.

The party’s national spokesman‚ Zizi Kodwa‚ said members of the national executive committee (NEC) would start meeting with its members and communities this weekend.

Two teams of NEC members are visiting the Sekhukhune and Waterberg regions in Limpopo‚ the Bojanala Region in the North West‚ and the Nelson Mandela Bay region in the Eastern Cape.

Kodwa said this process had to achieve two things — identifying those who are guilty of manipulating the lists and engaging its branches‚ the community and those candidates who were affected to find a solution.

It was not clear what action would be taken if it was found that lists were manipulated.

The NEC members would first meet with stakeholders which included complainants‚ branches‚ regional list committees‚ provincial list committees‚ screening committees and anyone else implicated. Following this they would have a meeting with the general membership of the party in the branches where a progress report would be given.

The NEC would also brief members on the party’s membership audit process.

It was revealed at last year’s National General Council that the ANC’s membership had dropped from a little more than 1.2 million in 2012 to 769‚870 this year.

At the time the party said these were audited members but that this number had not included memberships which had lapsed‚ those who were on probation and those that had been victims of gatekeeping and membership system administrative problems.