KZN CHOICE:

Of the 5 240 voting delegates expected to attend what Khumalo dubbed a “hot conference”, 90% would come from branches.

The rest was allocated to the women’s league, youth and veterans’ leagues and provincial executive committees.

The women’s and youth leagues had endorsed Dlamini Zuma, while the veterans, alliance partners the SACP and Cosatu had picked Ramaphosa.

Mngomezulu said the leagues and some provincial executive committees would probably lean towards Dlamini Zuma.

Mpumalanga chairperson and premier David Mabuza stunned many by pushing for a so-called unity candidate which garnered 223 nominations during the Mpumalanga provincial general council.

Mngomezulu said: “Mabuza is playing politics to the core by inventing what is called unity in the ANC.

“But Mabuza is a die-hard Zuma supporter and is likely to swing the unity votes to Dlamini Zuma.”

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, who was eyeing the position of chairperson on Ramaphosa’s slate, said there was no individual called “unity” in the ANC.

If the conference was marred by irregularities or chaos, the ground would be fertile for a splinter party, said Mngomezulu.

In 2008, former ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota formed the Congress of the People (Cope) after the turbulent Polokwane conference at which Zuma dislodged Thabo Mbeki, Lekota’s staunch ally.

Mngomezulu saw further economic fallout if the ANC conference was marred by irregularities.

Economist Dawie Roodt said