Durban - As the ANC eThekwini Regional Conference is set to kick off tomorrow, following a long day of delegates registration today, one of eThekwini ANC Chairperson hopeful Zandile Gumede’s staunch backers believes that the ANC’s step aside resolution was designed to target certain individuals within the party.
Friday was the official first day of the 8th eThekwini Regional Conference and it saw the party’s delegates spending the day registering for the conference.
On Saturday morning eThekwini Regional Task Team Convenor Kwazi Mshengu is expected to deliver the political report which will be followed by conference’s opening address expected to be delivered by ANC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Chairperson Sihle Zikalala.
Gumede is vying for the ANC eThekwini Regional chairperson position with Thabani Nyawose who is the incumbent eThekwini Municipality Speaker.
In Gumede’s slate is also Thembo Ntuli as Deputy Chairperson, Musa Nciki who is running for the Secretary position, Nkosenhle Madlala as Deputy Secretary and Zoe Shabalala as Treasurer.
In Nyawose’s slate he has Mthunzi Dlamini running to be Deputy Chairperson, Bheki Ntuli for Secretary with Thanduxolo Sabelo as Deputy Secretary and Ntokozo Sibiya as Treasurer.
Earlier this week Gumede said that if she is elected as Chairperson at the conference, she would be penning a letter to the ANC indicating her intention to step aside to comply with the guidelines of the resolution.
Ntandoyenkosi Khuzwayo, an ANC eThekwini councillor and a staunch backer of Gumede’s, said that as her backers they would have no choice but to support Gumede if she steps aside as this is a decision of the ANC.
“Obviously it’s not something that we would prefer, but until this step aside issue is dealt with properly at conference (ANC National Conference later this year) then we can really engage on it, but at the moment there is really nothing much we can do,” Khuzwayo said.
Speaking on whether the resolution was fair or not, Khuzwayo said: “We do feel that it’s targeting certain people and it was solely just about affecting the outcomes of conferences because even the arrests and the charges show that they are political as there is a lot in these cases that show that this thing is not normal and not an ordinary course of administering justice.”
SUNDAY TRIBUNE