Mkhize, wife’s names removed from voting roll
PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Zweli Mkhize’s name and that of his wife were removed from the voting roll of their branch in Pietermaritzburg amidst branch meetings to nominate the next ANC president.
Yesterday Mkhize, who is also ANC treasurer-general, confirmed to The Mercury that his name and that of his wife, May Mashego, were removed before a nomination meeting on Sunday.
“I attended the last branch executive meeting in preparation for policy conference, our names were in (the roll). Today they are removed,” he said.
Former branch chairperson Sbu Mkhize said the move was an orchestrated plot to discredit and humiliate the former premier.
“I heard rumours that TG and his wife will not appear on the roll. I went to the branch general meeting with a copy of TG’s membership that he took in 2014 April. May joined with R100 in 2016 and 2017. Their membership is valid until 2019 and 2022,” he said.
But Sbu said both names did not appear on the roll and no satisfactory explanation was given.
He said at the branch, Mkhize’s family members were regularly sidelined from BGMs and annual general meetings, something he claimed to have taken up with the provincial leadership before.
“I told them I would lodge a dispute as an ANC member and a Mkhize family member, as this systematic exclusion of my relatives has occurred previously. I am drafting a letter as we speak,” he added.
Sbu said Zweli’s son, Dedani Mkhize’s name had also been “removed” from the roll. Expressing his displeasure on Facebook, Dedani wrote, “The membership of the ANC Treasurer General, Dr Zweli Mkhize and his wife, Dr May Mashego, have been removed from the branch membership roll.
“Factionalists can be this bold and get away with it. Welcome to KZN, Moses Mabhida Region, where gate-keeping is a name of a game and factionalism is celebrated as being bold.”
Several attempts to contact ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa and communication manager Khusela Sangoni were unsuccessful.