ANC in KZN weighs in on Zuma successor

The election of President Jacob Zuma’s successor will not be based on whether that person is from a particular family but on ANC traditions.

That's the word from the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal which concluded its three-day provincial executive committee lekgotla in Durban on Monday.

Provincial chairman Sihle Zikalala told the media that ANC branches will decide on who should succeed Zuma.

“But the election for the leader of the ANC will be based on traditions of the ANC. It will not be based on the fact that you are born from a particular family or you are related to a particular family and therefore you cannot lead the ANC‚” he said.

The ANC in the province is understood to have thrown its weight behind former African Union chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to succeed her former husband who has also anointed her as his successor. This will mean that Dlamini-Zuma will go head to head with deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa for the position.

But Zikalala said ANC branches must be allowed to debate the leadership.

“When the time comes we will meet with the branches and get feedback from them and then be able to articulate clearly on who must lead the ANC.”

He said in the past the party has elected leaders knowing that their fathers were leaders in the ANC — a reference to former President Thabo Mbeki whose father Govan Mbeki was a leader of the ANC.

“Therefore in the ANC we treat cadres on their merit and capabilities to lead the revolution not on the basis of association. We must be very frank and clear on this point: Those who go around and say Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma must not be elected because she was once married to President Zuma are making a very fundamental mistake. That is a flawed analysis‚” said Zikalala.

“We have elected a number of leaders in the organisation without looking at their associations. When we elected comrade president Thabo Mbeki we never said this is the son of Govan Mbeki. And if the determination of branches of the ANC in KZN say let’s elect Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma‚ we’ll do so without saying Nkosazana is connected to anyone. We know her in this province.”

He said the ANC in the province is expected to convene at least 10 conferences between now and December to ensure that the ANC emerges united towards the 2019 elections.

“Once the branches have spoken we will go across the country lobbying other members from branches in other provinces. We will never be arrogant to others.”