Durban — The KwaZulu-Natal ANC conference has started in a sombre mood following the death of eThekwini regional treasurer Nomthandazo ‘Zoe’ Shabalala.
Shabalala, who was elected to the position at the party's regional conference alongside Zandile Gumede, died on Friday, a few hours before the conference started.
Her death was formally announced by provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli at the conference. He asked the attendees to stand and observe a moment of silence for her.
“Comrades, we just received news while we were here at the conference, that our newly-elected eThekwini regional treasurer has passed on. Let us stand and observe a moment of silence for her and other fallen comrades,” said Ntuli.
Although Ntuli did not disclose her cause of death, he said she had been ill for a long time.
In her honour and other fallen party leaders and members a candle was lit.
Shabalala, a former eThekwini Municipality councillor for ward 78 in Umlazi, south of Durban, had to accept her nomination through a letter as she didn’t attend the conference. She was one of the members affected by the step-aside rule which barred members from participating in the conference.
At the time of her death, she hadn’t resumed her duties as treasurer because she was still on step-aside.
Shabalala, was also branch secretary during the previous term, and has been in Gumede's camp.
She was one of the councillors charged for corruption in relation to a city's Solid Waste tender which was awarded in 2016 after Gumede became a mayor.
Details of her funeral will be released after the provincial conference and after the regional leadership had visited her family.
The regional leadership was expected to issue a statement about her death later.
Daily News