NDZ faction says outcome irrelevant

Winners call for unity in the party

“We see the road to unity.”

This is according to Sithembiso Mshengu, who has been acting as spokesman for a faction that took the KwaZuluNatal ANC to court.

“Now, the most wise thing to do is for the NEC [national executive committee] to take over the process of rebuilding the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, or to put in place an interim structure,” Mshengu said.

When the group heard of the judgment, they celebrated outside court, singing songs in praise of former chairman Senzo Mchunu and Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Former KZN premier, ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, told journalists in Durban yesterday that the NEC did not want to rush into a decision as the outcome was still fresh. At the time of his comments he had not read the full judgment.

“I don’t believe one can speculate on what will happen. A decision will come out of an NEC meeting,” he said.

KZN ANC Youth League chairperson Kwazi Mshengu said that, despite victory against Nkosazana DlaminiZuma’s backers, the league was still firmly behind the former African Union chair. He was also adamant that the outcome would not affect the December conference, nor KZN’s participation in it.

“You must remember this [December conference] is a conference of the branches, not the provincial leadership. So this won’t hamper any plans behind our preferred candidate,” he said.

Meanwhile, two leaders of the so-called rebels extended an olive branch to the losing provincial executive. They said that even if Sihle Zikalala won at a reconstituted KZN conference they would respect the outcome, provided it was a free-and-fair election.