DURBAN - Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede, despite facing corruption charges, was on Sunday night elected eThekwini chairperson of the ANC in a long and drawn out conference that at some stages appeared to be on the verge of collapse.
Gumede’s slate were also elected, including deputy chairperson Tembo Ntuli, provincial secretary Musa Nciki, deputy secretary Nkosenhle Madlala and Zoe Shabalala as treasurer.
Of the 395 delegates, Gumede received 219 votes.
The eThekwini ANC regional conference was left hanging in the balance and on the verge of collapse earlier today until it was salvaged by a provincial party steering committee.
Gumede and current eThekwini speaker Thabani Nyawose were contesting the chairperson position of the biggest ANC region in the country.
At issue for most of the weekend was the credentials of the youth league and women’s league. Both the leagues were being administered by a regional executive committee and delegates and the leadership debated whether they should be allowed to vote at all.
This impasse was negotiated and according to insiders the youth league’s 12 votes would be split evenly between the Nyawose and Gumede slates. The women’s league's 12 votes would go to Gumede.
There was then debate over the regional task team and whether they would be allowed to vote, given that the regional task team (RTT) had convened the conference and were now participating.
This was resolved when the steering committee decided that they would not vote.
Provincial spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela confirmed that the conference agreed that RTT members would not be allocated voting status.
Gumede, who is facing corruption charges, participated at the conference in absentia and confirmed her availability through a letter which was read by Zama Sokhabase.
Political Bureau