ANC fights bid to overturn provincial conference outcome

THE ANC confirmed yesterday it would fight a court bid to overturn the outcome of its KwaZulu-Natal provincial congress that ultimately led to the sacking of the province’s premier.

ANC provincial spokesman, Mdumiseni Ntuli, confirmed that the party had filed papers opposing an application which seeks to have last November’s provincial conference declared null and void.

“We are opposing that court application because we believe it is baseless,” he said.

Lawrence Dube, Sibahle Zikalala, Martin Mzangwa, Mzweni Ngcobo and Lindiwe Buthelezi claim in their application that was lodged in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in July that cadre deployment and factionalism overruled the party’s own democratic processes.

They say the conference was held illegally because the ANC’s eThekwini regional conference had not been held and that many of the party’s branch meetings, which would have selected delegates to attend the provincial conference had not been properly constituted.

They also claim that the election at the provincial conference that led to the ousting of then KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu as prov- incial party chairman by Sihle Zikalala was rigged.

Alpha Zwane, the attorney for the five applicants said yesterday that his clients were proceeding with their application, which was lodged on behalf of various wards and branches in the province.

Mchunu was fired from his post as premier seven months after the conference and current premier Willies Mchunu was installed. – ANA