Durban - The ANC eThekwini region will have to hold fresh elections to elect a new leadership.
eThekwini branch secretaries and chairmen were called to a City Hall meeting on Monday night where KwaZulu-Natal chairman Senzo Mchunu made the announcement, according to sources.
However, the leaders will remain in office while a fresh election is organised.
The leadership was elected about two weeks ago at a conference which was delayed at least three times amid allegations of intimidation and violence.
The elections have also been dogged by claims of rigging and vote buying.
Incumbent eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo defeated councillor Zandile Gumede, the region’s former treasury, to assume the position of chairman.
Nxumalo is also the SA Communist Party provincial chairman.
According to a source, Mchunu said at Monday night’s meeting that the leadership would remain in office until a date for fresh elections had been announced but would not perform any duties.
“The provincial leadership finally decided to bow to the instructions from Luthuli House.
“Although the chairperson did not get into details, he announced that the elected structure was null and void.
“The issue now is that he said the elected will remain in office until the announcement of the rerun dates. He said they won’t be performing any duties and they won’t call any meetings. That is strange but members decided not to challenge that decision,” said the source.
He said the provincial executive committee would meet on Thursday to deliberate on the processes to follow and that Sihle Zikalala, as provincial secretary, was appointed to handle the process.
He said ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe had been expected to be present to make Monday night’s announcement, but did not attend.
The source said it was also announced that the three branches – wards 16, 30 and 74 – that had failed the audit before the conference, were on Monday ordered not to participate in the rerun of the elective conference.
Monday’s meeting went ahead in the presence of heavily armed police after it was rumoured that certain branches would be mobilised to disrupt the gathering.
When contacted for comment on Tuesday morning, ANC official Sicelo Khuzwayo said there would be a media briefing on Tuesdya afternoon.
Daily News