Durban - The KZN provincial leadership of the ANC has welcomed the intervention of the party’s top six, which includes President Jacob Zuma, in a bid to save the party’s troubled eThekwini region.
The top brass is expected to meet the provincial leadership on Tuesday.
The ANC’s biggest and most influential region in the province is in tatters following the heated contest for chairman between mayor James Nxumalo and former regional treasurer Zandile Gumede.
KZN secretary Sihle Zikalala welcomed the move. He said the intervention was not to say that the provincial executive committee had failed to resolve the crisis.
“It is not about the provincial executive failing, but is rather to complement it. It’s not a question of competition,” he said.
The top six includes Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa (deputy president), Baleka Mbete (chairwoman), Gwede Mantashe (secretary-general), Jessie Duarte (deputy secretary-general) and Zweli Mkhize (treasurer).
The eThekwini elective conference has been postponed twice and cancelled once.
The initial conference saw Nxumalo beat Gumede by 41 votes, but his celebrations were short lived.
The result was nullified due to the inclusion of wards which were not properly audited to participate in the conference.
The provincial executive was tasked by the national leadership to sort out the problem and re-convened the conference earlier this month, but it failed to elect leaders.
Gumede’s supporters called for the inclusion of ward 37 (Newlands) which is said to back Gumede.
It publicly rebuked Mchunu for conspiring against Gumede.
Speaking on condition of anonymity a Gumede supporter from ward 37 blamed the premier.
“He is doing everything he can to prevent uMama (Gumede) from ascending to the top position.”
A Nxumalo supporter lashed out at Gumede’s supporters saying it had become a badge of honour for them to disrupt the elective conferences because they knew their chances of winning were slim.
“They must allow the conference to sit so that we can elect the leadership to steer the region forward,” he said.
The source said the postponements had caused the ANC financial losses of more than R1 million.
Gumede said she appreciated the intervention of the top six.
“I’m really happy they are coming to KZN to deal with the issues,” she said.
Nxumalo said he could not comment. “Sihle Zikalala is the person you should call for matters relating to the elective conference,” he said.
Mantashe confirmed the top six would be in the province on Tuesday but wouldn’t say why.
Durban-based political analyst Protas Madlala said the intervention of the national leadership was a clear indication the province had failed to resolve the crisis.
“The provincial structure is part of the problem rather than being part of the solution,” he said.
Sunday Tribune