Mantashe throws cold water on fightback by ANC leadership in KZN
The KwaZulu-Natal ANC provincial executive committee is in limbo‚ as a planned appeal remains on hold until the national office gives it the go-ahead.
On Tuesday‚ the Pietermaritzburg High Court declared that the party's 2015 provincial elective conference should not have taken place‚ rendering it - and its outcomes - null and void. This includes the election of the party's top 5 and the 25 members of the provincial executive committee.
The provincial leadership held a marathon late-night meeting at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Tuesday and resolved to appeal the judgment. But ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said this decision will not be effected until the national executive meets with their provincial counterparts later this week.
"After receiving the judgment‚ they [ANC KZN leadership] immediately met and they were of the view they must appeal‚" said Mantashe. "But that will only be a decision when the NEC meets with them to discuss their view. This will be either Thursday or Friday‚ we are busy planning that. Then‚ early next week‚ we might call a special NEC meeting on the matter‚ because 15 days to appeal is not a long time‚" he said.
Provincial ANC secretary Super Zuma said: "I cannot talk about this until we release a statement to that effect. But since our meeting has been circulated widely in the media I am compelled to say briefly that appeal is one of the things we discussed. We are looking at pursuing that."
He would not answer further questions.
KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli also confirmed the appeal route.
"Yes‚ we have decided that it will be in the best interests of the ANC to appeal against this judgment‚" he said.