Former Msunduzi deputy mayor Alpha Shelembe was elected chairperson of the ANC Moses Mabhida region in Howick outside Pietermaritzburg during a conference at the weekend.
Shelembe, who resigned from the positions of deputy mayor and regional treasurer last year following charges of arson and corruption, entered his third stint in the regional leadership. He had also been the ANC's regional secretary.
Provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala defended the election of Shelembe and Super Zuma, who retained his position of secretary, saying they had never been found guilty of wrongdoing.
Some ANC members had accused Zuma and Shelembe of manipulating candidate lists ahead of the May 2011 local government elections.
Zikalala allayed fears that the election of Shelembe and others could see some council members lose their jobs.
“This (two-day) gathering was discussing ANC matters, not council issues, so those elected here are ANC leaders in party structures, and conference has nothing to do with those deployed in councils. There should be no concerns that some people in municipalities will be recalled.”
The ANC's KwaZulu-Natal leadership would hold its eThekwini regional conference next weekend.
Shelembe was accused of being behind the fire at the ANC's offices in Pietermaritzburg in June 2011. The charges against him were withdrawn on November 4.
He still faces charges of fraud, corruption and money laundering, relating to the sale of a building in the Mgungundlovu district municipality, for office and parking space, at an inflated price in 2003. This matter was scheduled to continue in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate's Court on June 19. - Sapa