The deeply divided ANC in KwaZulu-Natal holds its elective conference this weekend with no fewer than five candidates for the post of provincial chair.
Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube, businessman Sandile Zungu, KwaZulu-Natal legislature chair of chairs Siboniso Duma are expected to compete with present chair and provincial premier Sihle Zikalala for the position.
ANC insiders say the party’s radical economic transformation faction, allied to former president Jacob Zuma, supports Dube-Ncube and Zungu for chair.
KwaZulu-Natal is the biggest province in membership and electoral support for the ANC with more than 240,000 members. At least 1,617 voting delegates are expected at the conference.
The province’s support is crucial for candidates who want to be elected into the party’s top national structures. It has the largest number of branches followed by Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Traditionally, it has always been a powerful force and a deal breaker in ANC politics.
The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape indicated their support for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s re-election at their provincial conferences. KwaZulu-Natal is also expected to pronounce on its preferred presidential candidate on Sunday when the conference is expected to conclude.
This weekend’s provincial conference is the final conference to be held before the ANC’s national policy conference at the end of July, where the ANC will decide on its policy positions before December’s national leadership contest.
“Some delegates have expressed concern that they have been approached with slates of leaders who are not their preferred choice... They have also expressed concern and outrage that they are being offered money in return for their votes,” chief lobbyist for Dube-Ncube, Wiseman Ngobese, said Thursday.
Zikalala’s lobbyists say at least another three regions will back him as chair. His slate includes provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli as secretary, education MEC Kwazi Mshengu as deputy chair, MP Jomo Sibiya as deputy secretary and legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce as treasurer.
Zungu’s slate includes health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu as deputy chair, agriculture MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi as deputy secretary, former provincial secretary Super Zuma as secretary and corruption accused and former Durban mayor Zandile Gumede as treasurer.
But Gumede is unable to stand for any leadership position because she is facing charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering.
Asked at a media briefing if Gumede, who was elected ANC eThekwini regional chair in April, will stand for nominations, Ntuli said the national executive committee (NEC) will make nominations known only at the plenary of conference.
“The issue of Zandile Gumede being nominated ... there’s many of us who are nominated by many structures of the ANC and those nominations have happened without us being consulted,” said party provincial spokesperson, Nhlakanipho Ntombela.
“It is only at the plenary of conference where a nominated comrade will have to stand up and say ‘I accept, or I decline’. Usually you are not required to give reasons why you are declining, but others do volunteer reasons.”
Despite deep division in the province, the ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal expects no major disruption or disputes from branches about registration.
Ntuli has painted a picture of a united ANC with all 11 regions being properly constituted and ready for the conference.
He rejected suggestions that should Ramaphosa attend the conference he will be arrested in connection with the Phala Phala “farmgate” saga. “I don’t think that is a matter we should be concerned about. The president is a member of the republic, and the police are everywhere.”
Ntuli said Ramaphosa will not attend the conference opening, but did not rule out the possibility of him being there at the end.
He said the party in the province had “turned the tide”. Challenges that resulted in poor performances at the polls were addressed to ensure the success of the ANC in the 2024 national elections.
ANC alliance partners, provincial and national and provincial NEC, Youth League, Cosatu members and government leaders will attend. Acting ANC secretary-general Paul Mashatile is expected to open the conference.
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