Compromise mooted by ANC in Kwazulu-natal
THE leadership of the ANC in Kwazulu-natal is to lobby other provinces to adopt a compromise approach which would see one of the two frontrunners in the battle for party presidency, settle for the position of deputy president in a bid to avoid a bruising elective conference in December.
ANC KZN chairman Sihle Zikalala said the idea would be introduced to delegates at the party’s national policy conference under way at Nasrec, Johannesburg.
“We would want to canvass the organisation as this is to address the question of slate politics where the winner takes all.
“It happened in KZN in 2000 where Zweli Mkhize and Sbu Ndebele contested. Sbu was elected and Zweli contested for deputy chair and he won it. Maybe in this case, if we engage all of us, there might not even be need for a contest for a deputy president,” he said.
ANC Youth League president Collen Maine said engagements are normal during any conference and that the KZN ANC would have to engage it on the matter. “If it makes sense there should not be a problem of us supporting that particular idea”.
He said that the unity of the party did not depend on who gets elected as president but it “means that we need to agree on the programme of action and all of us work toward the implementation”.
Kwazulu-natal is known to support former AU Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.
However, Zikalala said the province was not yet discussing names, but a principle and that the idea had not even been introduced for discussion at the branch level in the province.
“It is still our view at the leadership level, which had not even been canvassed with delegates.
“But we know that KZN is for unity. Therefore it would be easy for us as the province to agree, then we will engage other provinces.”
Sipho Masuku, a lobbyist for Jeff Radebe, who is being punted as one of the compromise candidates, said it had become clear that neither of the dominant factions had a clear majority and this was forcing lobbyists to consider other options including compromise candidates.
“Judging by the conference it is clear that the ANC is divided in the middle. Even if one of the two candidates were to emerge victorious in December, neither will win the 2019 election for the ANC. Therefore there is a need for a compromise candidate”.
Some delegates say KZN is not as powerful and influential as it used to be.
Thanduxolo Sabelo, youth league secretary in KZN, denied it was weakened.
A discussion whether the hard-hitting diagnostic report could be tabled at the conference was contentious.