ANC puts off KZN poll after fracas
DITCHED: ETHEKWINI CONFERENCE CANCELLED – AGAIN
The ANC’s eThekwini conference abandoned after unruly members disrupt it in a sign the party has lost control of its branches.
Supporters of councillor Gumede claim the province is planning to stop their candidate.
In what has been described as a sign the ANC leadership has lost control of its branches, the eThekwini regional conference – being staged for a second time this year – was abandoned at the weekend after unruly party members disrupted proceedings.
Shortly after proceedings began at Greyville Racecourse in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday, throngs of angry ANC members invaded the venue, hurling insults at regional party leaders.
The angry members claimed to be from a ward supporting ANC eThekwini councillor Zandile Gumede, who aims to lead the region. They accused the provincial leadership of conspiring with Gumede’s rival, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo, to exclude branches supporting the former.
“They told us buses will come and fetch us in KwaMashu but none came. It is very clear that they wanted to make it a point that we did not participate in the conference so that their preferred candidate [ Nxumalo] steals the elections,” ANC KwaMashu ward 37 member Thulane Zungu said.
The provincial leadership, led by provincial chairperson Senzo Mchunu, was forced to cancel the conference after attempts to calm the angry members failed.
The chaos was a continuation of the internal battles that marked the campaigns by Gumede and Nxumalo during the build-up to the February conference.
That conference had to be nullified after it was established ineligible branches had voted – handing Nxumalo a 20-vote edge over his rival.
Nxumalo had to step down as regional chairperson after a protest march staged by thousands of ANC members aligned to Gumede.
“It is very clear that the current ANC provincial leadership is not in control at the branches. What we are seeing is a new phenomenon in KZN, always known for being a united province,” political analyst Protas Madlala said.
With 103 branches, eThekwini is the largest ANC region in South Africa.
The leadership that will emerge from the regional conference will wield enormous influence at the ANC’s 2017 elective conference.
As it stands, the Gumede faction wants ANC treasury-general Zweli Mkhize elected party’s deputy president at the elective conference, while the Nxumalo faction wants secretary-general Gwede Mantashe to occupy the position.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal secretary Sihle Zikalala yesterday could not say when the cancelled conference would be rescheduled.