Former KZN premier Mchunu vies for ANC top job

Former KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu has confirmed that he will contest the ANC deputy president position at the upcoming national elective conference scheduled for December.

Speaking to The Witness on Monday, Mchunu, who is currently the minister of Water and Sanitation, said he resolved to stand after being approached by ANC members from across the country.

“They requested me to make myself available, and after careful consideration, I told them that I’m available,” he said.

Mchunu, who hails from the KZN Musa Dladla region, is the former minister of Public Service and Administration. A former ANC KZN provincial chairperson, Mchunu is currently a member of the party’s influential national executive committee (NEC).

In the ANC 2017 national elective conference, Mchunu — who contested the party’s secretary general position — narrowly lost to suspended ANC secretary general Ace Magashule.

While Mchunu will rely on ANC branches from his home province of KZN to prop up his campaign, he also enjoys support from other party provinces, including the Northern Cape and the Free State.

Unlike in the 2017 national conference where the contest for the ANC secretary general position was a two-horse race between Mchunu and Magashule, the former KZN premier will be contesting against several ANC top guns who have shown interest in the party’s deputy president position.

ANC leaders tipped to contest the ANC deputy president position include the current party treasurer general, Paul Mashatile, Human Settlement Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola and the incumbent David Mabuza.

On his chances of success, Mchunu said the decision was that of the ANC branches.

“As we speak the nomination processes at the branch level have started. If one is nominated then one has to either accept or decline the nomination,” he said.

So, at this stage, all what one could do is to either make oneself available for nomination or indicate one’s unavailability. In my case, I have already made myself available. That’s where we are.

A teacher by training, Mchunu also served as KZN Education MEC between 2009 and 2013. The former premier has become the third ANC leader from KZN to declare their candidacy.

This is after Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and former Health minister Zweli Mkhize, recently confirmed that they would be contesting the ANC president position.