ANC in KZN lashes out at 'divisive' Ramaphosa

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has Cyril Ramaphosa in their cross hairs after the deputy president deviated from a provincial executive committee-sanctioned electioneering programme in the province.

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has Cyril Ramaphosa in their cross hairs.

This follows two incidents where the deputy president deviated from a provincial executive committee-sanctioned electioneering programme while in the province.

• Sanco in KZN gives Ramaphosa the nod, says Dlamini-Zuma no ‘political skunk’ ANC deputy president and party presidential hopeful Cyril Ramaphosa's KwaZulu-Natal campaign has received a shot in the arm from the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco).

In the first instance‚ he addressed a cadres forum in Newcastle and then visited the Shembe Church without informing any of the provincial structures.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC secretary Super Zuma said the PEC was of the firm view that the two incidents “blatantly undermined a longstanding tradition of the movement”.

• Slain ANC member knew his killer‚ say KZN policeThe suspect who stabbed to death an ANC voting district coordinator in Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday night is still at large‚ but police say he was known to the victim and his family.

Zuma said they would refer the matter to ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe.

“The PEC mandated the [ANC] provincial officials to formally raise this matter with the Secretary-general for the attention of the national executive committee. This tendency is both divisive and introduces a completely new but also dangerous culture‚” said Zuma.

While electioneering and on a two-day door-to-door campaign in Nquthu recently‚ Ramaphosa snuck out to the eMalahleni region in Newcastle to address a cadres forum purportedly organised by the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco).

He returned to Nquthu to continue with the campaign. However‚ the ANC was hopping mad over his detour.

This was compounded by the fact that he was seen with former Premier Senzo Mchunu at the Sanco event. Provincial ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said it was clear the deputy president was behaving in a factional manner.

A few days later‚ while in Durban for the World Economic Forum‚ Ramaphosa also went to the Nazareth Baptist Church in Empangeni without informing the PEC or the regional leadership in the Musa Dladla region.

Again he was accompanied by Mchunu.

When confronted‚ Ramaphosa questioned why it should be viewed factional when he is with Mchunu but not with provincial ANC chair Sihle Zikalala.

He said both were senior ANC leaders.

However‚ on Wednesday Zuma was hearing none of it.

“For example‚ treasurer-general comrade Zweli Mkhize recently went to a family function in Msinga and he informed the leadership of the province and we sent the regional chair of Inkosi Bhambatha and a PEC member to be with him. This is the norm and we are not about to break it‚” he said.

National ANC spokesman Zizi Kodwa said: “The party has not received the complaint from the KwaZulu-Natal leadership‚ but the national leadership will deal with it once duly received.”

He said there had been similar complaints about other leaders.

Kodwa acknowledged that it was the norm for visiting leaders to inform the local structure of their presence.