ANC regions in KZN don’t want to upset the apple cart. To preserve consistency, comrades in the ruling party say they’ve endorsed Mkhize for a second term as premier and they want to retain top party officials too.
Moses Mabhida in Pietermaritzburg and eThekwini have not held their elective conferences yet, although insiders say delegates support Mkhize.
Mabhida’s conference was scheduled to end today, while eThekwini is holding its meeting next weekend.
With at least nine of the 11 regions affirming his leadership, Mkhize is riding the crest of the wave.
And provincial ANCYL leaders, who are a vocal lobby, propose supporting President Zuma’s second term.
This faction of the KZN Youth League has also fiercely defended Mkhize against politically-damaging allegations.
A leaked 2010 report alleged a conspiracy to oust Zuma by a group of ANC leaders working with millionaire national executive committee member Tokyo Sexwale. It was said to have included Mkhize, though he has hotly denied this.
ANC insiders aligned to the youth league said they had to lobby and make compromises to ensure the province presented a united front in the lead-up to Mangaung.
Out of nine regions that have held their conferences, only two regions pose a threat to Mkhize. These are Lower South Coast in Port Shepstone and North Coast in Richards Bay.
The Tribune can confirm that Lower South Coast region has been campaigning to have the incumbent provincial treasurer Peggy Nkonyeni challenge Mkhize as premier.
However, Nkonyeni has also failed to substantially win the support of the ANC Women’s League. Another albatross on Nkonyeni’s back is the Amigos fraud and corruption case that just won’t go away.
The North Coast region, which recently elected Thulani Mashaba as chairman, is believed to have lobbied aggressively for former ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu to challenge Mkhize.
Mchunu is said to be an unwilling participant. But pressure is mounting on Mchunu with the support for the region of his wife, Thembeka Mchunu, to be the mayor of uThungulu District Municipality (also in the North Coast region). “It has been the region’s wish to see Senzo challenging for the top position. He’s a seasoned politician and commands support and a voice across regions and branches,” an insider said.
The North Coast region, said a former regional executive member in Richards Bay, had touted Mike Mabuyakhulu as regional chairman.
Mabuyakhulu, like Nkonyeni, faces criminal charges in connection with the Amigos case.
Mabuyakhulu does not even sit on the provincial executive committee of the ANC.
A senior ANC member said while Mkhize was allowed to lobby freely in several regions, his support might dwindle after the December conference.
ANC MPL and former deputy secretary of the disbanded ANCYL PEC, Sboniso Duma said: “The decision to retain the chairperson and the entire PEC top officials stemmed from a very critical issue, that of seeing to it that President Zuma wins in Mangaung. As the country’s biggest province we need to mount a united front and get rid of all the elements that rear their ugly heads.”
Duma’s fellow comrade and MPL, Mthandeni Dlungwane, was due to be elected deputy chairman of Moses Mabhida yesterday while last week Bongani Dlamini was elected as chairperson of Ukhahlamba region in the Estcourt /Bergville/Ladysmith area. Dlamini is a member of the youth league PEC.
The youth has also ensured the election of Nomagugu Simelane as chair of the Abaqulusi region in Vryheid. The Tribune also understands that Simelane is an employee at the Office of the Premier.
Another win-win situation for the youth league and Mkhize’s provincial machine is eThekwini. Two candidates, health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo and MPL and former youth league supremo Nhlakanipho Ntombela, are neck and neck.
“So here you can see that either of the candidates will make sense to the youth league and Mkhize. It will also be keeping up with an old tradition of having an MP chairing the ANC’s biggest region in the province,” said an ANC official.
From Bheki Cele to late John Mchunu, all the ANC chairs in eThekwini have been MPs.
“It’s all about being calculating here, in politics while numbers and popularity are important, those won’t help without certain compromises,” said another ANC member close to Mkhize.
Ironically, almost all district and local mayors elected after the May local government election last year failed or did not contest chairmanship in their regions.
Millionaire Greytown mayor Philani Mavundla was ousted as the Bhambatha region chairman last year.
Jeff Vilane, mayor of Mkhanyakude who was uprooted from the legislature last year also lost chairmanship to Thokozani Sibiya in the Far North region while Welcome Mdabe was ousted by Thokozani Msweli in the KwaDukuza’s Preva Khumalo region.
Arthur Zwane, chair of Emalahleni region in Newcastle is also not a mayor, but treasurer Afzul Rehman is. Also eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo and his Pietermaritzburg/Msunduzi counterpart Chris Ndlela hold no regional positions in the ANC and are both from the left.
Former Msunduzi speaker and regional treasurer Alpha Shelembe, a Mkhize ally and homeboy, was due to be elected chairman of the Moses Mabhida region replacing former Howick mayor Edward Dladla.