The Grahamstown High Court has dismissed with costs a High Court bid to nullify the outcome of the African National Congress’s Eastern Cape provincial elective conference in September.

The order‚ by a full bench of the Grahamstown High Court‚ was read out in the High Court this morning at 10am.

The ruling marks a major victory for newly elected provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane and his provincial executive committee.

The unanimous judgment‚ penned by Judge Dawid van Zyl‚ with Judges Thami Beshe and Glenn Goosen agreeing‚ comes just four days before the party’s national elective conference‚ which is due to kick off on Saturday.

Several ANC members from the OR Tambo‚ Joe Gqabi and Amathola regions had sought to set aside the election of the PEC‚ including that of Mabuyane.

At issue was whether or not the conference was legitimately convened in the first place and whether - even if it was - it could lawfully have been allowed to continue after violence broke out and some 46% of the delegates‚ most of whom supported former chair Phumulo Masualle‚ walked out.

The full judgment will be made available later this morning.