ANC lifeline?

IT would be easy to suggest that the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal region is clutching at straws, in what might be described as a desperate attempt to save its parent body from an uncertain future. But at least it is trying.

With less than six months to go to its elective conference in December, the proxy wars have started in earnest.

It was always going to be inevitable that the favourites to take over as president of the organisation from Jacob Zuma would use whatever opportunities they get to stake their claims. Even at a planning conference.

And it has not seemed to matter what the top officials of the ANC have had to say about the purpose of its planning conference, at Nasrec Expo Centre, Joburg.

Appeals to park the contests for the next leadership positions have largely been ignored. As the accusations, counter-accusations, wild promises and dark threats start gaining momentum, an ailing ANC is facing the real prospect of a split – or worse.

Whatever people may think about the organisation, there’s one thing that should not be ignored: an ANC in robust health is good for the country.

LET’S be blunt about this: everything points to the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal supporting Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. When it suggests that in the election contest for the presidency, the person with the second-most votes should become deputy president, they are figuring that Dlamini Zuma will be the president.

But, other than this, it is a plan so simple that it might well work.

Those who like the idea say it will signal the death knell of slate politics. Those who favour slate politics are against it.

Apparently Zuma, who is said to favour Dlamini Zuma to succeed him in South Africa’s top job, came out in favour of the KwaZulu-Natal proposal when it was raised in one of the commissions at Nasrec this week.

“In our commission, it was only Zikalala and Zuma who articulated it. Other people ignored it. It’s a new proposal, which we obviously need to consult widely on,” said a source, who asked to remain anonymous.

The ANC is in deep trouble. To get out of it, it will need to try new things and to act decisively. We do not believe KwaZulu-Natal has a perfect solution. But the suggestion will buy the national party some valuable time.