In a highly contested and closely run election race, former mayor Zandile Gumede, who is facing charges of corruption relating to the issuing of a R320m waste contract, has been elected chair of the ANC eThekwini region.
Gumede has indicated she will “step aside” to allow her deputy chair, Thembo Ntuli, to step in until her future is decided. Her supporters broke out in song and dance when the results were announced, saying they knew they were “winners”.
The ANCs “step-aside” rule does not preclude branches from nominating leaders to hold office.
Nominated in absentia, Gumede beat her rival, eThekwini speaker Thabani Nyawose. Gumede had the support of former president Jacob Zuma supporters and the so-called radical economic transformation bloc and the powerful ANC Women’s League in the region. Nyawose belongs to a faction that supports President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Renew, Revive and Unite faction.
The make-or-break conference that began on Saturday at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Centre for the most part hung in the balance over credentials, technical queries and debates, at times forcing insiders to say that the conference would be postponed yet again.
The outcome is destined to have huge significance for the provincial conference in July and the ANC national elective conference in December.
Step aside
It is widely known that the Gumede camp, touted by many as the favourite, is supporting former health minister Zweli Mkhize for president in December’s ANC elective conference. On Gumede’s slate is her deputy, Ntuli, and regional secretary Musa Nciki.
Nyawose has Mthunzi Dlamini as his deputy, and Bheki Ntuli, the regional secretary under Gumede previously.
National analyst Sanusha Naidu from the Institute for Global Dialogue points out that Gumede’s stepping aside in line with ANC policy is levelled only at her role as mayor and does not preclude her from standing for the top eThekwini ANC post.
Speaking before the results were known, she said: “If she does indeed win, Ramaphosa is in a difficult position.
“The challenge is how does this play out for things in the run-up to the July provincial conference and the December national conference and the reshuffle in his cabinet.
“Also, who will fill what post in his cabinet given the vacancies that exist? He is certainly sussing out how the conference is playing out.”
She added: “Overall there is a lot of ebbing and flowing and it’s much more complex and complicated and the stakes are higher than ever before. The Zweli Mkhize option is no doubt something that will be a factor.”
The contentious issue that took eight hours to resolve at the conference proper dwelt on whether regional task team (RTT) members, who have been overseeing the region since 2018, should vote.
Eventually delegates had to settle for a precedent set by other provincial conferences, where the RTT delegates were not allowed to vote.
Conference convener Kwazi Mshengu said: “This province is not allowing the task team to vote. There is no national common decision. It has been left to the provinces. KZN has decided that we are not going to give the RTT any voting rights.”
Voting by nearly 400 delegates began shortly after 4pm on Sunday through a secret ballot under the careful scrutiny of an independent electoral watchdog appointed by the ANC.
As senior leaders of the ANC took to the podium, provincial leader and premier Sihle Zikalala called for unity and appealed to delegates to behave in a manner that protected the integrity of the ANC. The will of the people is more important than leaders, he said.
“All eyes of SA are on this conference ... We must remain true to the oath to improve the lives of the people and make the ANC work better. Be servants and lead the ANC ... We are more loyal to factions ... than the organisation. We must confront it and all wrong tendencies. Let us belong to the ANC and not a faction,” he said.
The conference has attracted big interest from the top brass of the ANC’s national executive committee, including Lindiwe Sisulu and David Masondo. Njabulo Nzuza and Dakota Legoete were also spotted at the conference.
The ANC in the eThekwini region is deeply divided and a focus on renewal, rebuilding and reorganisation in the region is critical for the new leadership.
Another objective is managing the complexity of the ANC’s coalition in the eThekwini municipality.
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