ANC bigwigs sort out KZN
The ANC’s top six officials arrived in Durban yesterday in a bid to unify KwaZulu-Natal regions, listen to branches’ qualms and finalise a date for the province to finally hold its elective conference.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting the eThekwini region, the country’s biggest ANC region which is plagued with divisions.
The KwaZulu-Natal ANC has been split into two factions since its 2015 provincial conference when new leadership was elected.
One camp backs Ramaphosa, the SA Communist Party and former ANC provincial chairperson and axed premier Senzo Mchunu. This faction wants the provincial elective conference postponed, claiming they are being barred from branch meetings and registering as members in good standing.
The other group, which says the elective conference must happen as soon as possible, supported former African Union Commission chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for ANC president in December 2017 and supports former president Jacob Zuma and Sihle Zikalala.
Zikalala was provincial ANC leader until January when the party suspended the leadership after the Pietermaritzburg High Court found the 2015 elective conference, which Zikalala won against Mchunu, was null and void. An interim structure was co-led by Zikalala and Ramaphosa-backer Mike Mabuyakhulu. Their mandate was to get the provincial elective conference done by the end of April, but they failed.
Yesterday a large group were ejected from the meeting as only branch chairpersons and secretaries were meant to attend. Broadcaster eNCA’s cameraman and journalist were stopped from filming and other journalists were also told to stop recording or taking photographs.
Members of the ANC national working committee (NWC) and national executive committee (NEC) have been deployed all over the province. Deputy President David Mabuza and others are meeting regions in the north. Secretary general Ace Magashule and Bathabile Dlamini, Jackson Mthembu and others are meeting regions in Pietermaritzburg and the south.
National chairperson Gwede Mantashe, Thandi Modise, Zizi Kodwa and Senzo Mchunu are in Newcastle and Dundee. Treasurer general Paul Mashatile and Dlamini-Zuma and others are meeting the Musa Dladla region in Empangeni. Today the NWC and interim provincial structure will meet to finalise if and when the provincial elective conference will be held.
Today NWC and interim provincial structure meets to finalise if and when elective conference will be held.