ANC election nomination ‘mistakes’ to be corrected

ANC members in eThekwini, aggrieved with the party’s “flawed” local government elections nominations, have new hope following promises this weekend that the “mistakes” would be corrected.

Remedial action would include by-elections in wards where the party found serious irregularities.

ANC treasurer Zweli Mkhize met communities of eMzinyathi and Phoenix, north of Durban, on Saturday and yesterday, while another national executive committee member, Naledi Pandor, had a similar meeting in Newlands West yesterday.

ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said the hearings were taking place across the country, and he had been deployed to the Northern Cape. “When the comrades complete the hearings, they will give a report to the national working committee.”

Discontent over the nominations sparked violent protests in the province, and led to the killing of candidates and party members. Private and government property was damaged. Unhappy nominees broke ranks with the party to stand as independent candidates.

Speaking to the SABC after the meeting on Saturday, Mkhize said there would be by-elections where the national executive committee had found flaws in the nomination process. “We need to find out where there are flaws, (and) where we need to redo the election processes.”

He said by conducting the hearings, the national executive committee was trying to unite the party and dismantle factionalism.

ANC provincial spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said the hearings – conducted by the national leadership in collaboration with its provincial counterpart – started on Saturday and could be completed by the end of the month. He said there were “not more than 20 wards”, which had launched disputes in the province.

Where the party found evidence of mistakes it would disqualify councillors, and this would lead to by-elections. Ntuli said the party was not worried that removing councillors would further divide the party.

“If you are correcting something, you’ve got to explain to everybody that this is how wrong this thing was, and encourage the community to come together and decide who to nominate,” he said.

Those who stood as independents would be forgiven if they complied with the party.

“Some were taken to disciplinary process after it was heard they wanted to stand as independents, and the organisation attempted to pursue them not to take this route. But there are others like Inchanga, ward 11 in eThekwini, who refused to co-operate.

“I am aware that some of them are talking to the leadership, now wanting to reconcile,” he said.

Nontsikelelo Mbambo from Newlands West said Pandor’s visit gave the aggrieved members new hope that they would finally be allowed to elect their preferred nominee, Sbusiso Dladla, as their ward councillor. She claimed that councillor Gugu Khumalo-Zulu had been imposed, standing for the elections against “popular view”.

“People told her (Pandor) that we had nominated Sbusiso Dladla, who was number one on the list. We are now waiting for the response.

“But we are happy with the hearing. They listened to the branches and they are willing to assist us. We are very happy,” she said.

University of KZN political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the process should be conducted, although it could cause further division in the party if the sitting councillors were removed.