ANC’s step-aside ruling deals blow to Gumede faction
● The ANC decision that leaders facing legal battles be excluded from political activity has weakened former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede’s faction ahead of the party’s eThekwini regional conference, as several of her key allies are facing charges or being investigated.
This means Gumede and some of her supporters who may be asked to step aside from party positions cannot stand for election or participate in meetings preparing for the regional elective conference.
They will also not be able to vote for new branch leaders and elect delegates who would choose new leaders at the regional conference.
Gumede’s opponents want Thabani Nyawose to be elected regional chair.
Gumede is out on R50,000 bail after being accused of corruption related to a R430m waste tender issued by the eThekwini municipality in 2017.
It is believed corruption investigations in eThekwini may implicate 62 ANC councillors, the majority of whom are Gumede supporters.
Umlazi councillor Nomthandazo Shabalala, a Gumede ally, is out on R5,000 bail. She was earmarked for the position of treasurer should Gumede’s slate win.
Shabalala is one of four people accused of having facilitated or directed the selection of the main subcontractor in the Durban Solid Waste tender scandal. The four are alleged to have received kickbacks.
The Hawks are on the heels of another key member of Gumede’s slate in connection with R700m allegedly stolen from the city’s water & sanitation unit through tender fraud and corruption.
A source in the municipality’s forensic investigations unit said the business personcum-politician was one of the service providers who worked on a project that included providing running water, waterborne sewerage and ablution services in informal settlements, rural areas and transit camps.
Hawks spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said: “It is alleged the R700m is the proceeds of crime derived from service providers who were supposed to be rendering services for the water & sanitation unit and claimed to have provided such services whilst they were not carried out.”
No arrests have yet been made.
However, insiders say Gumede’s allies have launched a fightback campaign, challenging the constitutionality of the “stepaside” rule during a meeting with the deputy convener of the regional task team, Bheki Ntuli , in Umlazi on Tuesday.
“Councillors are asking if this step-aside rule is constitutional,” said one insider.
“Remember, the NEC [national executive council] has endorsed it, but it has not formulated how it must be implemented. It is just KwaZulu-Natal that went ahead and said people must step aside when, how and until when.”
“This process will erode comrade Zandile’s support on the ground,” said a branch leader who attended the meeting. “Plus, the other slate is still very much intact and active in all structures.”
Another insider said that of the 110 ANC branches in eThekwini, only eight are in good standing, meaning they have legitimate leaders.
“The work of electing branch leaders is likely to happen while comrade Zandile and her footsoldiers cannot participate. There is that fear that her people may be left out,” said the insider.
But Ntuli denied there were any challenges regarding the “step-aside” rule and said that all members were on board.
“We are still compiling the list of people that must step aside in eThekwini. It is not ready yet.”
Ntuli said that with the relaxation of Covid-19 regulations related to gatherings, there was some glimmer of hope that political activity could resume.
“Looking at level 1 regulations, it means we will now be able to do lots of work for the organisation, which includes starting to campaign for by-elections, because it speaks of 250 or 500 people allowed in gatherings, according to the president on the side of government,” said Ntuli.
“But we are hoping that secretary-general Ace Magashule will be giving us a directive of what should be done in terms of branch general meetings, because we can’t just take what was said by the president.
“We will need to hear from the SG on what branches and regions and provinces are now supposed to do regarding organisational work.”
Gumede was not available for comment at the time of going to press.