KZN ANC keeping its preferred leaders a secret ahead of national conference

The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal is playing its cards close to the chest and wouldn’t be drawn into announcing their candidates for the party’s December elective conference.

Provincial leaders met with their Mpumalanga counterparts in Durban on Monday to “map the road” ahead of the crucial 55th national conference. KwaZulu-Natal leadership, led by secretary Bheki Mtolo, were adamant that the leadership choice lay with the branches.

The governing party postponed nomination of candidates last week to allow outstanding branch audits to be completed.

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The meeting came as the Mpumalanga provincial executive committee (PEC) declared their support for the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa and that former ANCYL leader, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, become his deputy.

The latest addition of Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to the race could mean additional work for her home province KwaZulu-Natal, as former health minister Zweli Mkhize and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s campaigns also linger in the background.

The Mpumalanga delegation included deputy secretary Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, a supporter of the radical economic transformation (RET) faction of the ANC that’s aligned to former president Jacob Zuma and suspended secretary-general Ace Magashule.

Ramaphosa support ‘not cast in stone’

According to Mpumalanga provincial secretary Muzi Chirwa, the provinces agreed on the unity of the party, adding that the proposal of Ramaphosa’s leadership “was not cast in stone.”

“The meeting was meant to discuss policies ahead of the national congress and what impact we can make and ensure a strong ANC. In terms of leadership approach, we agree with KwaZulu-Natal that unity is important for the ANC,” he told eNCA.

“At the same time, when we go to the 55th conference, we need to put leaders we will all agree on. In as much as Mpumalanga has made its leadership proposal, that is not cast in stone. Mpumalanga has given us something we can work on with other provinces … that’s the process we are on.”

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For KwaZulu-Natal, advancing good policies on economic transformation and maintaining coal for energy generation was the top priority, said secretary Bheki Mtolo.

‘KZN ANC being careful’

As the biggest province in terms of ANC membership, KwaZulu-Natal’s session with Mpumalanga cannot be underestimated, said University of Free State political analyst Professor Sethulego Matebisi.

He added that KwaZulu-Natal would never support Ramaphosa.

“I can put my head on the block and say Ramaphosa won’t get support from KwaZulu-Natal. Because doing so would be an insult to Zuma, who they swore to die for.

“They are being very careful and seem to have learned from the Nasrec 2017 conference when Mpumalanga swayed the vote, leading to their candidate Dlamini-Zuma losing to Ramaphosa.”

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Dlamini-Zuma’s ‘NDZ’ slate lost by 179 votes at the 2017 conference, the results which left Zuma visibly uncomfortable during the announcement on national television.

Matebisi said KwaZulu-Natal’s choice of candidates might come from the RET candidates already seeking support.

“They might not agree on the president position. But for now, I see Dlamini-Zuma being the one who stands out for KZN, compared to Mkhize. They might work out the rest of the leadership candidacy and put forward Mkhize as deputy president to dispel the Ramaphosa faction.”

Mpumalanga not fully behind Ramaphosa

Meanwhile, University of Free State politics Professor Andre Duvenhage said Mpumalanga was divided and not everyone supported Ramaphosa’s slate.

Magashule and the RET group are probably “working hard” behind the scenes, he said.

“RET supporters are everywhere. For the mere fact that Mpumalanga met with KwaZulu-Natal, shows that lobbying continues even where leaders’ names have been publicly pronounced.

“I would be very concerned when Magashule is so quiet. Combined, these two provinces have numbers, and I think they are going to have significant influence.”

According to News24, Zuma told the RET delegation that included Magashule, former North West chairperson Suprah Mahumapelo and national executive committee (NEC) members Tony Yengeni and Dakota Legoete to support Dlamini-Zuma to replace Ramaphosa come December.

The group visited him at his Nkandla homestead in KwaZulu-Natal, where he frequently receives supporters and sympathisers.

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