Durban - The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has launched a manhunt for eThekwini region members who have been unruly, insulting their leaders and organising disruptive marches.
The culprits were supporters of the two leading candidates for the position of chairperson, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo and former regional treasurer Zandile Gumede, before and after the nullified regional conference.
Nxumalo won their duel and became the regional chairman, but ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe has since given an instruction that the conference should be rerun.
Since late last year, social networks have been abuzz with distasteful comments and debates about provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala and provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu.
Some of the insults were fuelled by allegations that Zikalala wanted to unseat Mchunu.
Zikalala told a press briefing in Durban on Tuesday that the suspects would face disciplinary action. “Marching is not accepted, getting into a meeting of the ANC uninvited and organising media to come to the ANC meetings without a permit – all those things constitute ill-discipline. Social networks would be included there,” he said.
Nxumalo, Gumede, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Bheki Cele, and the MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Mike Mabuyakhulu, were among leaders who were insulted on Facebook.
ANC members also held a number of protest marches to the ANC provincial offices in Stalwart Simelane (Stanger) Street in Durban to complain about the way branch meetings were conducted before the conference. The biggest march took place last week when protesters demanded to see a letter written by Mantashe instructing that three branches – wards 16 (Pinetown), 30 (Mayville/Sherwood) and 74 Lamontville) – should not take part in the conference because they had failed an audit test. Members heckled Mchunu, whom they accused of destroying the party.
Provincial executive committee members told the chairmen and secretaries of 102 branches at the Durban City Hall this week that an investigation had been launched against unruly members.
Zikalala confirmed that the executive committee had complied with Mantashe’s order that the conference be rerun.
Zikalala insisted that the failed conference was legitimate. “We took a political decision to include those three branches… However, the national leadership took a decision to advise us to rerun the conference,” he said.
The three wards would participate in the conference after they had passed the audit test.
The Mercury