KZN 'kingmaker' election must be rerun, says Mantashe

KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu and eThekwini mayor James Nxumalo were dealt a blow when Luthuli House this week nullified Nxumalo's election as ANC chairman of the influential eThekwini region.

The decision has serious implications for the ANC's biggest region as it will now go to the party's National General Council divided. The council is expected to give some clarity on who is likely to be Cyril Ramaphosa's deputy when President Jacob Zuma steps down as party boss in 2017.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe nullified Nxumalo's election on Friday night after a week of protest by supporters of his rival, former regional treasurer Zandile Gumede.

The battle between Nxumalo and Gumede has drawn much attention as eThekwini has the largest ANC membership of any region. The contest has exposed cracks in the powerful KwaZulu-Natal voting bloc.

The contest began as a battle between Nxumalo and Gumede, but has since taken on a provincial and national character with Gumede's backers aligning themselves with a faction that wants provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala to become provincial chairman and treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize to be deputy president. On the other hand, the Nxumalo group wants Mchunu to retain his position as provincial chairman, and is aligned with Mantashe's campaign to be Ramaphosa's deputy after 2017.

Gumede's supporters claimed that delegates were paid nearly R1-million to vote for Nxumalo. The claim was contained in a letter written by a branch leader that was sent to Mantashe and Zikalala last week.

Party insiders said Mantashe's office started investigating the matter on Wednesday.

On Friday night he instructed provincial officials to re-run the elective conference in the next "two to three weeks".

He told them that a decision by the provincial leadership to allow three branches that Mantashe had disqualified to participate in the conference was wrong.

Mantashe is said to have reminded the officials of a letter he had written to Zikalala two weeks ago ordering him not to allow the three branches that had failed an audit process to participate in the conference.

ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa did not confirm or deny the decision, saying: "The eThekwini matter is an internal discussion in the ANC. It is not for the Sunday Times."

Gumede's supporters celebrated the decision, saying that excluding the three branches would give her the advantage.

A party leader who asked not to be named said: "Remember, we lost by 14 votes after 23 delegates were allowed in, tilting the number in favour of James. Now those 23 delegates won't participate and we stand a very good chance."

But a leader sympathetic to Nxumalo said the decision would do no more than level the playing field, and did not guarantee a win for Gumede: "It's still 50/50. It does not mean the balance of power will change," he said.