Durban - The new ANC’s step-aside guidelines that forbid members who are facing criminal charges from contesting for positions appear to be a blow to Zandile Gumede’s potential ascendency to provincial politics.
In its special national executive committee meeting last week, the party announced it had amended the rule to add any member facing criminal charges should not be contesting for positions until they were cleared by the court of law.
The new guidelines came as branches were nominating leaders for the coming provincial conference. One of the most powerful and influential regions, Moses Mabhida, was the first to confirm that it had nominated Gumede for the position of treasurer.
Regional secretary Samora Ndlovu confirmed to the Daily News many branches had nominated Gumede alongside Sihle Zikalala as chairperson and Kwazi Mshengu as deputy chairperson, while retaining Mdumiseni Ntuli as secretary and Sipho Hlomuka as deputy secretary.
“Our branches had nominated her for the treasurer position but we are going to find a replacement since she would no longer be able to contest,” said Ndlovu.
The region incorporates Richmond, uMsunduzi, Mpofana (Mooi River) uMshwathi (New Hanover) Mkhambathini (Camperdown) and uMngeni (Howick) municipalities. The amendment angered Gumede’s supporters who threatened to go to court to challenge the new rule.
Her backer, Ntando Khuzwayo, said the ANC, as custodian of the country’s Constitution and as governing party, should not undermine the Constitution. He said central to the Constitution was the right of individuals to be treated as innocent until found guilty by a court of law.
Khuzwayo said the party also violated its constitution because to bar members from participating in the organisation’s activities the party must first charge the members for misconduct and take them through disciplinary processes, find the members guilty then impose sanctions by barring or suspending them as part of the sentence.
Gumede, a former eThekwini mayor, defeated Thabani Nyawose in the contest for chairperson two weeks ago. She accepted the nomination through a letter since she was barred from attending the conference because of a step-aside rule. She, along with 20 other accused, faces corruption charges in relation to a R430 million Durban Solid Waste (DSW) tender.
Daily News