What was scheduled to be a smooth evening of elections quickly spiralled out of control, as allegations of cheating and confusion over procedures led to the destruction of ballot boxes and the abrupt suspension of voting. The congresses, initially slated to begin at 4 pm, were significantly delayed, only kicking off around 9 pm. The late start was reportedly due to prolonged debates and a heated question-and-answer session following the Secretary-General’s and Treasurer’s reports.
However, just as the electoral process was about to commence, the election officer made a controversial announcement: the guidelines for the elections had been developed by the National Executive Committee (NEC) since the two leagues do not have their own constitutions. This revelation immediately sparked dissent amongst delegates. One of the main points of contention was the delegate list. A team led by Lesego Keorapetse strongly objected to using delegates from the party’s conference list rather than those specifically designated for the congress. This disagreement took a dramatic turn as they claimed that a team led by Thabang Kopelo wanted to cheat. Speaking in an interview the following day, one of the youth league presidential contenders, Lesego Keorapetse, who was contesting, recounted the chaotic events.
