Tough choices for ANC in KZN before elective conference
THE ANC in KwaZulu-Natal should make sure that it does not emerge a loser when the governing party holds its elective conference at Nasrec next month, ANC NEC (national executive committee) member Bathabile Dlamini has cautioned party members.
With KwaZulu-Natal having Dr Zweli Mkhize, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Senzo Mchunu, Mdumiseni Ntuli and Malusi Gigaba all vying for office-bearer positions, Dlamini said it was important for all delegates to rally behind an individual with great prospects of winning next month.
There are fears that lobbying for KZN will be more difficult as other provinces also seek representation in the top six positions of the governing party.
In a contest similar to the one in 2017 at Nasrec, Dlamini Zuma and Mkhize have been suggested and endorsed by some branches as presidential candidates in KZN, but many have pointed out that Mkhize's campaign has greater momentum when compared with five years ago.
Many ANC members believe that Mkhize stands a better chance at beating sitting President Cyril Ramaphosa than Dlamini Zuma, and believe that her public endorsement would be a further boost for the former treasurer-general.
“She is ageing now and the Zuma appeal is no more and that is why this campaign has not taken shape or gained any momentum. Frankly speaking, there is a need for new and fresh ideas,” said a source close to Dlamini Zuma.
Dlamini told a gathering of ANC members and supporters last week that it was important for the KZN voting block to remain united.
KZN faces a tough task as other provinces seek a presence among office bearers as well as the ruling party's NEC, which is the highest decision making body between conferences.
Dlamini confirmed to The Mercury that a number of meetings had been held with leaders to consolidate the province's position, in order to ensure that KZN remained influential. She would not disclose the names of the leaders who had been part of the meetings. “We learned some lessons in Nasrec five years ago when we had different names, and this has led us to taking this approach of making sure that the best candidate wins,” Dlamini said.
She stressed the importance of having a fair representation of women within the NEC and positions in the governing party.
“Honestly, my interest is to ensure that among the officials we have a 50% representation of women,” said Dlamini, adding that meetings to discuss leadership preferences would continue until the conference.
A senior Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) member conceded that the KZN leadership had an uphill battle in trying to persuade all its members to rally behind one person when going to the conference.
“The fact of the matter is that there are branches that have decided to stand behind a particular candidate, and no amount of persuasion will change their standpoint. That is why this is such a difficult task,” said the PEC member.
An insider in the Senzo Mchunu campaign said they had not been lobbied to rally behind anyone, and insisted that they were forging ahead with their campaign.
“We are working on the ground and have people who are giving us daily updates on the campaign. It has been a tough campaign, but so far the effort is gaining momentum,” said the source yesterday.
He added that the Mchunu and Ntuli campaigns were solid and were likely to forge a working relationship in the coming days.
Political analyst Thabani Khumalo noted how some of the candidates had gone about their campaign without any assistance or endorsement from the provincial leadership, warning of the negative effects this could have on KZN's prospect of representation in the top six.
He said that while the province boasted a high number of delegates going to the elective conference, this amounted to nothing without a show of unity.
The ANC said its Electoral Committee led by Kgalema Motlanthe will brief the media today on the processes and outcomes of branch nominations for the Top Six positions ahead of the party's conference.