We will fight on, say KZN ‘rebels’

Another legal showdown is looming between the KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial executive committee and the so-called rebels who took it to court.

Another legal showdown is looming between the KwaZuluNatal ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) and so-called rebels who took it to court.

The committee may have won the support of the party’s national executive committee (NEC) in its bid to appeal against September’s judgment‚ but on Tuesday, the applicants — who represent 43 branches — said the fight was not over.

They said they would not only challenge the appeal, but also wanted a provincial task team installed and the committee dissolved.

Speaking on behalf of the applicants, Sthembiso Mshengu said they had made their intentions clear to the NEC in a meeting on Monday.

He said the NEC promised to come back to them, but provided no timeframe.

“It’s true that the NEC has relied on and used legal opinion‚ which has resulted in them condoning the application by the PEC,” he said.

“Whether the NEC condones this is a separate issue.

“We will challenge the appeal using legal terms and channels. We are not yielding on our resolve that the PEC be dissolved and a political task team be installed to take over the rerun of the conference,” said Mshengu.

He said KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary Super Zuma was misleading the ANC members by saying the appeal suspended the court judgment.

On Tuesday, the PEC called a media briefing to announce it would not be disbanded. Zuma said the NEC had decided to support their appeal. The decision meant the provincial committee would remain in place until the outcome of the appeal.

“It is our collective, considered view that the judgment contains wider implications and has the potential to distort and weaken the authority of the PEC and NEC‚ which are both supreme structures of organisation with the authority to lead and make decisions in between conferences‚” Zuma said.

The media conference came three weeks after the High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled that the party’s 2015 provincial elective conference and all the decisions and elections made at the event were null and void.

This was after the group of so-called rebels from within the party took the mother body to court‚ citing various irregularities. The provincial ANC leadership lodged its appeal last week. A decision on whether the appeal would be allowed‚ and when the appeal might be heard‚ has not been made.

ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli confirmed that provincial chairman Sihle Zikalala had met Mike Mabuyakhulu, one of the axed MECs‚ at the weekend, but would not divulge the nature of their meeting.