Durban — Chief lobbyists remained confident that their preferred candidates would emerge and taste glory this weekend when the KwaZulu-Natal provincial elective conference of the ANC sits to elect a new crop of leaders at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban.
Various lobbyists representing some of the political bigwigs who have thrown their hats into the ring told the Daily News that it was “all systems go”, and they were “ready to rumble” in the elective conference, where the aim is to rebuild the ailing former liberation movement.
Sandile Zungu’s chief lobbyist, Vusi Mvelase, said they were adding the final touches to their campaign in anticipation of the conference, and he was confident that the outcome would be positive.
“We have in the past few months done our work throughout the province. We have spoken to various regions and branches in order to find common ground and pave the way for the conference. We believe that the delegates who have thrown their support behind Zungu will ensure that he emerges in the province, so that we can help rebuild the ANC and prioritise the interests of our people,” Mvelase said.
He added that they were aware of faceless social media campaigns aimed at tarnishing the name of Zungu and his campaign team.
“We are not shaken because we know that out of desperation, some people resort to such dirty tactics,” he said.
Mvelase also mentioned that they were observing all the developments around accreditation to ensure that no branch would be smuggled into the conference to cause disruptions.
Themba Hlatswayo, who is the chairperson of the Million Meyiwa branch in ward 11, and one of Sihle Zikalala’s lobbyists, stated that his region and the branch were clear on who should emerge in the conference.
He said: “We affirm our support for Zikalala. He must continue to chair the ANC in KZN because we need stability and continuity. The Ndwendwe sub-region brings about 18 branches that have passed the audit, and nominated Zikalala to return.
“All these branches have mandated us to ensure that the name of Zikalala prevails in the conference. So we are confident that we have worked the ground and we are indeed ready to go to the conference and ensure Zikalala is victorious,” Hlatswayo stated.
Philani Khoza, the chief lobbyist for Nhlanhla Ngidi, who is from ward 6 in Hammarsdale, said he was their preferred candidate to chair the province, and that they were ready to nominate him.
“It has become quite difficult to campaign without resources, because the ANC has now become a party that is influenced by money. But despite all of that, we are saying Ngidi for chair. All our delegates understand that we cannot be influenced by money. If we fail, we will still respect the outcomes of the ANC provincial conference, and we will respect the elected leadership,” Khoza said.
Nomusa Dube-Ncube’s lobbyist, Wiseman Ngobese, said that delegates were arriving from different parts of the province determined to make history by electing the party’s first female provincial chairperson.
“Some delegates have expressed concerns that they have been approached with slates of leaders who are not their preferred choice, and have stated that they reject that because they want to elect ‘Game Changer’ because of her ability to take the province and create a better KZN economically, socially and politically,” Ngobese said. He also claimed that the delegates had also expressed concerns and outrage that they were being offered money in return for their votes.
“We believe that such allegations must be rejected and crushed through the ballot box. Delegates must not allow anyone to take away their democratic rights. The upcoming elective conference, for many years to come, will remain a landmark in the history of the ANC in KZN, where branches will elect a woman,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ANC in KZN said it was not concerned about Zandile Gumede’s possible nomination despite the step-aside rule, because as a disciplined member of the party she would not accept the nomination.
ANC provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli said that even if Gumede was nominated, the party knows that she would not defy the national leadership decision.
Ntuli faced questions of clarity around the nomination of members who were affected by the step-aside rule. He said for now no one knows who was nominated until late on Friday when the national office-bearers tasked to run the conference open the nomination boxes.
Ntuli added that nominated people would have to either decline or accept the nomination.
“We are confident that if Comrade Zandile Gumede would be asked to choose between herself and the ANC, she would choose the party,” said Ntuli.
Speaking to the Daily News on Thursday ahead of the regional general council, ANC eThekwini regional spokesperson Mlondi Mkhize confirmed that the council meeting would discuss Gumede’s nomination, adding that the final position would be communicated after the meeting.
Mkhize said should they decide to drop Gumede’s nomination, they would look at other comrades from the region who had been nominated.
Mkhize said Siboniso Duma, a provincial executive committee and legislature member, current treasurer and Finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and businessman Sandile Zungu would be contesting for the chairperson position.
He also announced that nomination boxes would be opened in the afternoon, adding that the party was hoping for a smooth conference until the end.
In terms of the programme, Ntuli said the national leadership has deployed the acting secretary-general, Paul Mashatile, to open the conference, but did not rule out the attendance of President Cyril Ramaphosa to open or close the conference on Sunday.
Ntuli said 1 600 voting delegates had been accredited, and the conference would commence on Friday and run until Sunday.
Daily News