Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Senzo Mchunu will not resign. The Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) of the ANC in KZN allegedly told him to resign no later than on Monday. But it was claimed that Mchunu was furious and told the committee he was not going to comply, according to sources. Instead, he allegedly told them to recall him.
It is claimed the committee told Mchunu it had the support of President Jacob Zuma, who has the powers to appoint and recall premiers.
But presidency spokesman Dr Bongani Ngqulunga shot down this claim, while ANC national spokesman Zizi Kodwa said he was unaware of the order.
Mchunu allegedly refused to accept the committee’s offer of ambassadorship to a country yet to be determined.
The source, who met Mchunu after a meeting on Friday where the news was delivered, said: ”He was angry and he said he felt undermined by the PEC because he knew they didn’t have (the) powers to recall him. I know one thing, he is not going to bow to their pressure.”
The next few days will be testing for the ANC in KZN as those who are sympathetic to Mchunu are threatening to disrupt the National Prayer Day scheduled to be addressed by Zuma on Sunday at Kings Park Stadium. Some councillors who were lobbying for Mchunu in the provincial elective conference in November last year have also warned that if the PEC went ahead with its cabinet reshuffle they would ditch the party in the elections.
Mchunu was dislodged by Sihle Zikalala as party chairman during the provincial elective conference in November.
Zikalala was allegedly accompanied by party provincial secretary, Super Zuma and two others during the meeting. But Zuma denied this: ”We can’t respond to faceless people - we are a serious organisation. If we want to update you on party matters we will call you as journalists.”
In February, the Sunday Tribune reported that a possible reshuffle was expected after the elections.
The committee is believed to be pushing for a caretaker premier, similar to the role Kgalema Motlanthe played when Thabo Mbeki was recalled in 2008.
MEC for Transport Willies Mchunu is poised to take Mchunu’s place until the term ends in 2019.
The move to axe Mchunu was triggered by fears in the Zikalala camp that Mchunu could use government resources to mobilise support for himself, sources claimed. Zikalala is a known Zuma-man and his camp, which includes Zandile Gumede as chairwoman of the eThekwini region (103 branches) is seen to be too close to Zuma.
A source said that if Mchunu had agreed to resign it would have seemed like a betrayal to his supporters.
Mchunu wouldn’t be drawn to comment, but the Sunday Tribune was told he would face the wrath of the party if he talked about the details of the meeting.
All the outgoing MECs allegedly supported Mchunu in the elective conference in November.
Political analyst Bheki Mngomezulu said the ANC provincial leadership was negligent by pushing for the reshuffle just before the elections: ”We didn’t expect this. They haven’t officially announced it, but the writing is on the wall.”
Mngomezulu also cautioned that if the reshuffle went ahead it would hamper the ANCs prospects in the elections as the party would be divided along Mchunu/ Zikalala lines, with more of those aligned to Mchunu opting to contest as independent candidates.
Another analyst, Thabani Khumalo agreed, saying: ”The timing is wrong, the authority is wrong, this is a suicidal decision.”
Khumalo said it was clear the Zikalala camp has started purging those who were against them in the elective conference.
Sunday Tribune