Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has promised to take care of its new chairman, Sihle Zikalala, by helping him get a job to secure a monthly income.
His new position as chairman is not permanent and does not go with a salary, unlike his previous provincial secretary position.
“The ANC has a culture of taking care of its leaders.
“It will assist the current chair to get employment, which might including sending him to the legislature,” said Zikalala’s deputy, Willies Mchunu.
Alternatively, the provincial executive committee could have pushed for President Jacob Zuma to remove Senzo Mchunu as premier and replace him with Zikalala.
But the committee said reshuffling the cabinet by removing the sitting premier was not an option, as the new leadership was working on healing wounds caused by contestation for the provincial conference.
“We have full confidence in the premier. There is no question of replacing him,” said Zikalala.
He also ruled out the possibility of a reshuffle in the provincial legislature, although Super Zuma would soon resign as an MPL to focus on his new full-time job as the party’s provincial secretary.
The ANC Youth League in the province maintained its stance that it would fight anyone who proposed the removal of Senzo Mchunu as premier.
“The issue of who is premier is the president’s prerogative, but we will make sure that Mchunu continues as premier,” said the league’s provincial secretary, Thanduxolo Sabelo.
The ANC’s national executive committee member deployed to the province, Joe Phaahla, said the provincial executive committee would either send Zikalala to the provincial legislature or another government department.
“The collective leadership of the province would bring their heads together and see how best to utilise the new chairman. He might be utilised as a public representative. He might be utilised in other ways by the ANC through which at the same time he would be able to earn an income,” said Phaahla.
The conference took place in Pietermaritzburg and ended on Sunday.
Other top-five members were Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu, who was elected deputy chairman; MPL Super Zuma as provincial secretary; Harry Gwala district mayor Mluleki Ndobe as deputy secretary; and Nomusa Dube as treasurer.
Those who were vying for top-five positions on Mchunu’s side were Education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni; Sport, Arts and Culture MEC Ntombikayise Sabhidla-Saphetha; uMngeni mayor Mbali Myeni; and Economic Development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu.
After the announcement of the results, tears of joy were seen running down eThekwini councillor Zandile Gumede’s face.
She said Zikalala’s victory would pave the way for her to finally take over the chairmanship of the eThekwini region, which she will contest against mayor James Nxumalo.
“People who have been preventing me from becoming the chairperson of eThekwini are gone,” she told The Mercury.
It would be the first time in the history of the ANC governing the province that the party chairman was not the premier.
The Mercury
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