Durban - The ANC provincial leadership has taken offence after the emergence of a mysterious list of candidates for next year’s party elective national conference.
The list features prominently those sidelined from the KwaZulu-Natal government after they were defeated at last year’s provincial party conference.
The list, which has been circulating on social networks and whose authors are unknown, placed deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa as the replacement for incumbent President Jacob Zuma, and ANC treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize as his deputy.
The ousted former premier, Senzo Mchunu, former arts, culture, sport and recreation MEC Ntombikayise Sibhidla-Saphetha, former economic development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu, and education MEC Peggy Nkonyeni were on the list, which has 80 candidates for additional members of the national executive committee.
ANC members said they suspected the list had been compiled in Gauteng, and circulated “to test the water and provoke discussion” over contestation before the party officially opened the nomination process.
ANC provincial spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli described the list as hogwash meant to irritate the current provincial leadership.
“The way you are assembling leadership, you are only picking up those who didn’t win in the last (provincial) conference, and that is being spiteful. With the exception of comrade Zweli Mkhize, it is made up of comrades who were standing in the last provincial conference and did not make it,” said Ntuli.
All the exiled MECs were believed to have been backing Mchunu when he lost out to current provincial chairman, Sihle Zikalala.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Bheki Cele - whom ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe prevented from returning to the province to contest the eThekwini Region chairperson position - is included.
Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who had declined to compete against Zandile Gumede in Durban, is also on the list.
Those perceived to be antiZuma, such as Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande and ANC parliamentary chief whip Jackson Mthembu are included.
Home Affairs Minister Melusi Gigaba is there too.
Ntuli said the provincial leadership had chosen to ignore the list.
“If we knew who had compiled it we would be able to comment knowing the intention and understanding the position of that person.
“If the intention is to spite the sitting leadership, or the intention is to say to the leadership you were wrong and these are the best leaders, that could be problematic,” he said.
An SACP member who backed Mchunu against Zikalala, said they suspected the list had been compiled in Gauteng. He did not want to be named.
The ANC in the province has recently condemned its youth wing after it had announced AU chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its preferred candidate to take over the presidency from her former husband.
Ntuli said yesterday it was wrong for the provincial youth league to “pre-empt the ANC processes” before the mother body had officially opened the nominations.
He said the party had scheduled a meeting with the youth league on Monday to discuss the matter.
“The officials of the ANC will be meeting with the officials of the ANCYL so they discuss the potential danger of their public expression,” he said.
The Mercury