DURBAN - The ANC’s eThekwini regional conference has been postponed to next year after branches failed to meet the 70% threshold required by party constitution for the conference to sit.
The long-awaited elective conference was supposed to have taken place on Monday but had to be postponed because the party needed at least 78 branches out of 111, which it did not meet.
Party regional co-ordinator Bheki Ntuli told the Daily News on Tuesday that the conference would now take place next year, adding that the 70% branches that were needed could not be met so the party decided to postpone it to next year.
“We will sit next year, just after the January 8 anniversary. It is just that branches did not meet the required threshold but we are short of about 20 branches and we will try and sit all the branches next year,” said Ntuli.
He is wanted for the secretary position by branches that support Thabani Nyawose. The contest for chairperson position is expected to be between former mayor Zandile Gumede and Nyawose but there are rumours that Gumede’s supporters are secretly looking to replace her in case she is affected by the step-aside rule as she is facing corruption charges.
Meanwhile, three regions successfully elected their new leadership at the weekend. Current uMsunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla was elected as Moses Mabhida chairperson in Pietermaritzburg.
In Okhahlamba region – which incorporates Ladysmith, Bergville and Estcourt former uThukela district municipality – Siphiwe Mazibuko was elected as chairperson while Bonga Hlomuka took the secretarial position. Vusi “Mavaya” Mthethwa is the new KwaDukuza regional chairperson after defeating Ndwedwe former speaker Khonza Ngidi.
KwaDukuza is composed of Mandeni, KwaDukuza (Stanger), Ndwedwe and Maphumulo municipalities. Regions that still have to meet are Lower South Coast (Port Shepstone), inkosi Bhamabatha (Greytown) and Musa Dladla (Richards Bay).
Daily News