The ANC’s succession battle has taken a turn in KwaZulu-Natal, with the provincial executive stripping another Cyril Ramaphosa-supporting region of its powers.
On Sunday night the provincial executive committee announced its decision on the lower South Coast region, after a meeting with branches at the Uvongo Hall outside Port Shepstone.
Provincial ANC spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli said the decision meant the region would not be disbanded but that the provincial executive committee would take over the duties that were the responsibility of the lower South Coast regional executive committee "in the interest of bringing unity in the organisation".
Ntuli rejected assertions that the aim of this action was to weaken the region — which has now thrown its weight behind Ramaphosa in the race to succeed Jacob Zuma as party president.
The region is regarded as a stronghold of ousted provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu.
Many branches in the region have questioned the timing of this decision, saying it was clear the provincial executive committee was unhappy with the region’s decision to back Ramaphosa.
Police and ANC marshalls had their hands full trying to prevent these disgruntled members from entering the meeting venue on Sunday.
They sang pro-Ramaphosa songs and denounced the provincial executive.
Bongani Ngwenya, one of the angry members, said: "We decided to go to the hall to express our anger because this was clearly a move would be aimed at weakening Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa's support in the province. We are saying that the provincial executive committee does not have a right to disband a leadership that was elected by the members."
Factional tension in the province is likely to worsen when a case brought by former premier Willies Mchunu’s supporters is heard in the Pietermaritzburg High Court from August 15 to 17.
The applicants are seeking to have the outcome of the November 2015 provincial elective conference nullified, claiming the process was marred by irregularities.
The 39 respondents include provincial ANC chairperson Sihle Zikalala, his deputy Willies Mchunu, the ANC itself, as well as the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa, and other top ANC figures.
Last year the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive disbanded the eMalahleni region, which had been vocal in its support for Willies Mchunu ahead of the November 2015 provincial conference.
These moves are not only confined to the ANC itself in KwaZulu-Natal. Earlier this year the ANC Youth League in the province disbanded its regional executive committees in the Abaqulusi and Musa Dladla regions.
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