National ANC leaders are on Thursday expected in the High Court in Pietermaritzburg‚ where a legal battle between party factions is due to play out.

Just before 9am party leaders and ANC supporters from both factions had not arrived at the court but there was a huge contingent of traffic officials and police.

Inside the courtroom members of the police dog unit combed the public gallery.

The provincial ANC leadership is appealing to the court to stop the nullification of its chaotic eighth provincial elective conference of November 2015.

The leave to appeal decision is expected to be announced after final arguments by both parties.

The high-profile case has seen thousands turn up to support warring ANC factions in the province.

The case was brought by ANC councillor Lawrence Dube and four others in May 2016 following results that saw former premier Senzo Mchunu being ousted as provincial chairperson and replaced by Sihle Zikalala.

The applicants claimed the conference was not only held prematurely‚ but that it was riddled with irregularities and the results were rigged.