Kgalema Motlanthe directive divides ANC

Plans by the ANC leadership in KwaZulu-Natal to endorse a party presidential candidate ahead of the organisation’s national conference are threatening to divide the party in the province.

ANC electoral committee chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe, has issued a directive for ANC leadership structures not to publicly announce their preferred candidates.

However, the ANC provincial executive committee (PEC) which held its special meeting in Durban yesterday, is forging ahead with plans to announce its preferred candidate on Tuesday.

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According to Motlanthe, announcing a preferred candidate before ANC branches concluded their nomination processes imposes pressure on the branches to nominate the PEC’s preferred candidate.

While ANC KZN regional leadership structures such as eThekwini, Musa Dladla in Richards Bay and Mzala Nxumalo in Vryheid, have already announced former health minister, Zweli Mkhize, as their preferred presidential candidate, other party regions including the Lower South Coast and Moses Mabhida, have not yet announced their preferred candidate.

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ANC Moses Mabhida region spokesperson, Njabulo Mtolo, said the region was of the view that it was the branches who should endorse candidates.

As the ANC regional executive committee (REC) we have not endorsed anyone — we don’t want to put undue pressure on ANC branches.

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Speaking ahead of Monday’s PEC meeting, ANC provincial secretary, Bheki Mtolo, made it clear that the PEC would defy Motlanthe’s directive.

The ANC PEC in KwaZulu-Natal has convened a special PEC on Monday to receive a consolidated report from regions regarding the outcome of branch consultations.
On Tuesday we will therefore make our pronouncement known to the public.

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The ANC provincial secretary said it would be unfair for the KZN PEC to be prevented from announcing its preferred candidate given that other provinces have announced their candidates.

Asked whether the ANC Moses Mabhida REC’s stance should be interpreted as contradicting that of the party’s PEC, Njabulo Mtolo said the REC’s decision was consistent with the party’s national elections guidelines as articulated by Motlanthe.

I can’t speak on behalf of the PEC.

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While Mkhize, who is set to contest the ANC presidency against Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the incumbent, President Cyril Ramaphosa is supported by the majority of ANC KwaZulu-Natal regions, most of the branches are yet to officially endorse him.

The endorsement of candidates by branches takes place during branch general meetings (BGMs) which most of the branches in the province are yet to hold.

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Unlike in the 2017 ANC national elective conference, where Mkhize received the least endorsements compared to his rivals Dlamini-Zuma and Ramaphosa, the former health minister this time around has overwhelming support, with most of the party’s KZN regions — who previously supported either Dlamini-Zuma or Ramaphosa — now backing him.

Should the ANC PEC go ahead and announce Mkhize as its preferred candidate, the announcement would boost the former health minister’s campaign and make it easier for him to lobby other ANC provinces ahead of the national elective conference scheduled for December.