Anti-Mchunu camp emerges in KZN

Former KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu resigned on May 23. File picture: Sandile Ndlovu

Former KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu resigned on May 23. File picture: Sandile Ndlovu

Published Dec 19, 2014

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A camp opposing ANC provincial chairman Senzo Mchunu has emerged, and it has started a fierce campaign to remove him from that position.

The anti-Mchunu camp apparently wants to replace the premier with party provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala.

The Mercury has learnt that members of the ANC Youth League and Women’s League support Zikalala, while Mchunu enjoys strong support mostly from the party’s old guard.

Various regional congresses have been held in recent weeks, the outcomes of which are expected to decide whether Mchunu retains his position or Zikalala takes over when the provincial elective conference is held in 2016.

However, Zikalala described as “madness” the idea of his challenging his senior.

“That is crazy and I don’t want to entertain the craziness,” he said.

Several sources from both the pro-Zikalala and Mchunu camps confirmed that the outcome of the regional conferences would be an indication of the way the provincial event would go.

They said there were no plans to remove Mchunu from the premiership, although they accused him of failing to reward people who had supported him for the chairmanship, with MEC positions.

“His cabinet was mostly the same as the previous one. He only appointed Cyril Xaba as the MEC for agriculture and rural development and replaced a white person (former finance MEC Ina Cronjé) with another white person (Belinda Scott),” said one source.

Another said former MP Ntombikayise Sabhidla-Saphetha had been imposed by President Jacob Zuma to become sports and recreation MEC in KZN.

“The ANC has no policy that a chairman should automatically be premier,” said a source.

Zikalala’s supporters include those who were aggrieved when Mchunu was victorious at the beginning of 2013 over current ANC provincial deputy chairman and Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu.

The

eThekwini region, the biggest in the province, is crucial for both camps.

Mayor James Nxumalo and ANC regional treasurer Zandile Gumede are competing neck and neck for the top position. The regional conference has been postponed twice because of tension over the leadership battle.

Out of 11 regions in the province, nine had held conferences and chosen their leaders: Harry Gwala (Ixopo); Moses Mabhida (Pietermaritzburg); Musa Dladla (Empangeni), Lower South Coast (Port Shepstone), Abaqulusi (Vryheid), Far North (Mkhuze), KwaDukuza (Stanger, North Coast), Ukhahlamba (Bergville) and Malahleni (Newcastle). The Inkosi Bhambatha (Greytown) region will hold its conference tomorrow.

Nxumalo’s camp supported Mchunu while Gumede was backing Zikalala to take over.

“So far all regions that have held their conferences have shown strong support for Mchunu. There are few who have supported Zikalala,” he said.

Mchunu’s backers accused the pro-Zikalala camp of using underhand tactics to push Gumede’s bid.

There have been counter-accusations of the manipulation of eThekwini branch meetings, which are meant to nominate either Gumede or Nxumalo.

The provincial executive committee has formed a provincial task team led by Economic Development MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu – believed to be a Nxumalo and Mchunu supporter – to oversee the smooth sitting of branch general meetings. The team has powers to overrule the outcome of the branch if it feels its sittings were improper.

However, another source said Zikalala had a tendency to overrule the task team’s decision if it ruled in favour of Nxumalo.

The eThekwini conference was postponed indefinitely after the task team ruled that a number of branches met without forming a quorum.

Zikalala camp backers said since he had been elected as provincial secretary he had proved to be a good leader.

The Mercury

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