Provincial task team in KZN must help the ANC renew itself, Mike Mabuyakhulu says

Newly-appointed ANC KwaZulu-Natal provincial task team convenor Mike Mabuyakhulu says the party’s leaders and members must come out and work towards helping the party to unite and renew itself.

On Tuesday, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule announced the appointment of Mabuyakhulu and Sihle Zikalala — who was appointed a co-ordinator — to lead the 16-member team.

The team will lead the ANC in the province over the next three months until the next provincial conference, expected to take place sometimes in April.

Mabuyakhulu is a former MEC for economic development and ANC provincial treasurer. Until recently Zikalala was the party's provincial chairman.

Other members of the provincial task team are:

• KwaZulu-Natal premier Willies Mchunu

• Former provincial education MEC and ANC provincial treasurer Peggy Nkonyeni

• Former human settlement MEC Maggie Govender

• Former provincial secretary of the disbanded ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) Super Zuma

• Former ANC deputy provincial secretary Mluleki Ndobe

• Former MEC for agriculture and environmental affairs Cyril Xaba

• MEC for co-operative governance Nomusa Dube-Ncube

• Former ANC Youth League leader and current ANC member of the provincial legislature Nhlakanipho Ntombela

• Former KwaZulu-Natal youth league provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo

• MEC for Transport and Community Liaison Mxolisi Kaunda

• Former spokesperson of the suspended PEC Mdumiseni Ntuli

• Provincial deputy leader of the ANC Women’s League Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu

• MEC for sports and recreation Bongi Sithole-Moloi

• Former member of the provincial ANC PEC Makhosi Ntuli.

Magashule also said the team would be overseen by a special national executive committee (NEC) task team whose members comprised Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa (convener), Human Settlements Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, Candith Mashego-Dlamini, Dakota Lekgoete and Sibongile Besani.

Mabuyakhulu said the team had a huge task on its hands as it had to unite the party’s squabbling factions in the province and prepare the branches and the regions for the provincial conference.

He said since their appointment, he had been in constant contact with Zikalala and other members of the team.

"We have a scheduled meeting and I hope that will be able to draw up a roadmap of the task at hand. Our structure is [the task team] is time-bound as it has to sit for only three months. During this time we have to do a lot of things as is expected of us."

Mabuyakhulu said only time would tell if the period allocated to the team would be sufficient to unite the branches, and prepare them for a credible provincial conference that would elect a new leadership.

Members of the team would be deployed to different regions of the province to try to pacify warring factions and rebuild dysfunctional branches, and facilitate leadership wherever necessary.

Mabuyakhule said the team’s first order of business was to sort out the disputes and contestations within the branches and the regions. He said some ANC leaders were not on speaking terms while others had even exchanged blows during meetings.

"I have witnessed a new mood in the ANC after the [national] elective conference [in December]. Unlike before the conference, people are willing to engage each other to unite the ANC. There is a mood conducive to renewal and principled unity," he said.

Mabuyakhulu declined to comment on rumours that he was among the leaders touted to compete for the position of provincial chairperson when the provincial conference was held.