Durban - In an embarrassing defeat this weekend, eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo’s own ward rejected him, and instead nominated his arch-rival to enter the contest to be the chairman of the country’s biggest region.
Nxumalo has been excluded from participating in the coming regional conference after he failed to secure enough votes from ward four to be put forward as a candidate.
ANC provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala said that, although Nxumalo would not participate in the deliberations of the conference, he could still stand for election if other branches nominated him for this.
“Even if he is not there, he could still be nominated and be voted (in),” he said.
The Mercury has learnt that Nxumalo was present at the ward four meeting on Sunday when a majority of members nominated former regional treasurer Zandile Gumede, who is a municipal councillor.
The nominations for delegates and candidates are regarded as a crucial part of the regional conference, which is to take place on October 25.
“He has been beaten so badly and embarrassed by his own branch. There were about 400 people at the meeting, and he only received 16 nominations, while more than 300 others went to Gumede.
“In fact, he was only nominated by 15 people, because the 16th vote was from him,” said an ANC insider who was present at the meeting.
Responding to The Mercury’s request for comment on Monday, Nxumalo said the ANC was a national organisation, not a regional one.
“Branches have a right to nominate any member according to their preferences. I may not have been nominated by my branch, but other branches have nominated me.
“It’s too early to make any judgement. Let’s allow the branches to exercise their right as per the ANC constitution.”
Senior ANC members Joe Phaahla and Bongi Sithole-Moloi were presiding officers at the event.
The source said Nxumalo would not even be a delegate to the eThekwini regional conference, since so few nominated him to represent them at it. The branch would have seven delegates.
“If his own branch, where he sleeps every night, does not have confidence in him, how can the whole region have confidence in him?”
A leader at the branch said this meant Nxumalo would be at the conference only as an observer, since he was the provincial chairman of the SACP.
A source, who was elected together with Nxumalo to the regional leadership earlier this year, which was later nullified, said it was known that Nxumalo would not be put forward by his own branch because of a sour relationship with certain members. The source said he was confident Nxumalo would still win the conference.
Nxumalo and Gumede have been arch-rivals since late last year, when they competed with one another to replace former chairman Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who is the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health.
When the congress was held in February, Nxumalo won by 253 votes, defeating Gumede by 41, but ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe nullified the congress as the correct processes had not been followed.
The elected leadership was forced to vacate the regional offices it had already occupied.
Since then, there have been many postponements of the event. President Jacob Zuma and members of the National Working Committee have been to the city to try to end the infighting.
Out of 103 branches in the region, at least 73 must successfully hold nomination meetings for the conference to take place. Sources said that so far only 16 had held the meetings.
It is believed that whoever wins the region will influence the voting during the provincial congress to be held next month, either in favour of Zikalala’s camp or Nxumalo’s.
It is believed Gumede backs Zikalala to take over as the provincial chairman, while those who support Nxumalo want Premier Senzo Mchunu to continue to lead the party in the province.
The Mercury