Durban - ANC branches in KwaZulu-Natal will now have to embark on the task of winning over their counterparts in other parts of the country after being the only province in the country to nominate former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize for the position of party president.
At a press briefing attended by ANC KZN leadership, provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo announced that branches have chosen to nominate Mkhize for the party’s top job and national treasurer Paul Mashatile as his deputy.
This means that Mkhize would have to take on President Cyril Ramaphosa at the party’s crucial December national elective conference.
According to ANC insiders and political analysts, the branches in KZN have chosen to nominate candidates for the party’s top six positions to strategically position the province to be an influencer and to be influenced ahead of elective conference.
Regional party leaders yesterday said the diverse list of candidates emanated from behind-the-scenes discussions with other provinces and to present a realistic ambition to change the national leadership at the conference.
Mtolo said the majority of branches had nominated Mkhize and that while Mkhize had been investigated in the Digital Vibes scandal, he had not been charged.
“He qualifies to be nominated by branches as he has not been charged by an institution of law. The Hawks have made it clear that Mkhize is not under investigation,” said Mtolo.
“The PEC has been mandated by branches throughout the province who are proposing to support Dr Mkhize for president and deputy Paul Mashatile, national chairperson is Stanley Mathabatha, Phumulo Masualle, former Eastern Cape provincial chairperson, as secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane as deputy secretary-general, while the treasurer general will be a woman who is young and energetic.”
With 4 250 voting delegates expected to participate and vote at the ANC’s December elective conference, the discussions between provinces will be crucial.
KwaZulu-Natal will send the largest delegation to the conference, 877 delegates, followed by the Eastern Cape with 684, Limpopo with 613, Gauteng with 502, Mpumalanga 390, Northern Cape 239 and the Western Cape will be represented by 283 delegates.
Zenzele Msomi, secretary of the Harry Gwala region, said branches had indicated that change was necessary in the national leadership of the party.
“Harry Gwala is close to the Eastern Cape and branches there and in this province believe it is best to rally behind Masualle. Mathabatha has significant support in Limpopo. This strategy emanates from discussions with other provinces and a decision was taken to forego individual interest and to uphold the collective interest.”
Msomi said KZN, Limpopo, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga understood each other.
Bheka Dlamini, deputy chairperson of the General Gizenga Mpanza region, said the names of the candidates emerged from branches and the “Festival of Ideas” held recently.
“Branches believe that this is how the KZN ANC can bring about change. There is a need for leadership that will bring change and hope. There is a huge gap between society and the ANC … at the elections we saw that people rejected the party and we need to bridge that gap,” Dlamini said.
An ANC insider said that now that the party had announced almost all the top six candidates, official contact could be made with other branches and discussions can take place about those nominated by KZN branches.
“These will be intense discussions and negotiations will take place even as delegates are gathering on the conference floor. KZN has shown that it is flexible in these discussions and open to engaging with any provinces, regardless of the size of the delegation they will send to conference.”
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe said the ANC in KZN was looking to win over counterparts in other parts of the country as a way of influencing the outcomes of the conference.
“This is to create synergy by reaching out and to lessen the conflict on the conference floor.
“While provincial executive committees have pronounced on their leadership preferences, there is a deeper understanding that delegates will determine the leadership of the party.
“All of the people in the KZN nomination process enjoy support from their respective provinces and with this comes bargaining power.”
Seepe said the heckling of party chairperson Gwede Mantashe at the Cosatu national conference, following Ramaphosa’s cold reception at a May Day rally in the North West, indicates the changing mood of workers and people on the ground.
“The ANC must look at these and other developments through the lens of the 2024 elections and whether the candidates chosen in December will lead them to losing those elections.”