Durban – The regional task team (RTT) of the ANC in the fiercely contested eThekwini region is engaged in fresh attempts to salvage the elective conference and allow at least the voting and policy adoption processes to be completed.
The attempts come after the conference was adjourned in the early hours of Sunday following a stalemate sparked by attempts to allow members of the RTT to vote for the top five and regional executive committee (REC) members.
The attempt was opposed by the Zandile Gumede faction on the basis that the party’s constitution does not allow RTT members to vote in conferences.
WATCH: Even though it looks like the ANC eThekwini regional conference will likely be collapsed by the stalemate over credentials, the convener of the RTT, Kwazi Mshengu, says he is optimistic the business of the day will done - even if they finish late at night. @DailyNewsSA pic.twitter.com/hOEWQ1dDKG
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) April 10, 2022
Their assertion was confirmed by the convener of the RTT, Kwazi Mshengu, who told the Daily News that the province had a provincial executive committee decision that the ANC task team does not vote. This was a continuation of the practice as we know it. At the provincial conference in 2018, the provincial task team led by Mike Mabuyakhulu and Sihle Zikalala did not vote. “So the position is still the same.”
That threw a spanner in the works, forcing the conference to be adjourned to 9am on Sunday.
WATCH: The Zandile Gumede and Thabani Nyawose factions are still battling for dominance outside the Durban ICC are still battling for dominance. Here they are seen trying to drown one anther with booing and derogatory jand gestures. #ANCeThekwini @DailyNewsSA pic.twitter.com/WJA61O68qQ
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) April 10, 2022
However, by 1pm on Sunday, there were still attempts to get delegates to reconvene. Mshengu said they were reconvening the conference to present their new proposal to delegates and see whether they will accept it.
“Well, the steering committee has a view which we want to present here (at the conference)… To the plenary for their adoption… the view is for the plenary (only),” Mshengu said on the sidelines of the conference.
The Daily News understands that the new proposal is to remove the 13 voting delegates of the ANC Women’s League whose inclusion came very late on Friday, after a bitter fight.
Initially, the RTT refused to grant the league voting rights on the basis that their term of office had expired, and they could not be allowed to vote. The Zandile Gumede faction fought tooth and nail to get them included.
VIDEO: Members of the governing party who are attending the #ANCeThekwini regional conference are arriving at the Durban ICC amid fresh attempt to save the conference from collapsing. The new proposal is that the ANC's women's league be stripped of its voting right. @DailyNewsSA pic.twitter.com/2calcSGW5f
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) April 10, 2022
Late Saturday night, a lobbyist of the Thabani Nyawose faction which is up against Gumede admitted they were resigned to the fact that the women’s league voting bloc would go to their opponents.
“The entire women’s league vote belongs to Zandile (Gumede), we know that, but still we have an upper hand in the branches,” said the lobbyist.
Now with this fresh proposal, the Zandile Gumede faction is already preparing for another bitter fight as they feel that this is another attempt to weaken them “through manipulation of processes”.
“That will never happen under our watch, we are aware of the proposal and when we go back to the plenary, we will put up a fight. But let me tell you this, our opposition to having the RTT voting is that it will open a can of worms, as some of the regions that have already convened and elected leaders will demand a rerun.
Also, eThekwini is a special case, its RTT is made up of members who have no branches in the region. So that means they will vote where they don’t belong. Our analysis is that the entire plan here is to collapse the conference,” said a leader of the Zandile Gumede faction.
Despite this, Mshengu was adamant that the conference will be concluded even if it means having some of the items on their programme skipped in favour of the most important ones.
Daily News