Don't believe the hype‚ the ANC in KZN is united: Sihle Zikalala

A court challenge seeking to oust the provincial leadership of the ANC brought by a cohort of “rebels” has merely galvanised the leadership of the party.

This was according to ANC provincial chair Sihle Zikalala‚ who dismissed any notion of divisions within the ruling party.

Speaking at a business breakfast in Durban on Tuesday‚ Zikalala said he had told economic ratings agency Moody’s that the court challenge had spurred party leaders to speak the same language.

“All the leaders of the ANC are now beginning to talk one language‚ and that is a language of unity‚ irrespective of their preference on leadership‚” he said.

This is contrary to remarks made by Vryheid ANC councillor Lawrence Dube‚ who this week vowed to displace the “illegitimate” leadership in the province. Dube led the application‚ which also involved four other ANC members representing 43 branches.

The court ruling by Judge Jerome Mnguni last week followed a challenge by a faction supporting ousted chairman and former KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu‚ who lost to Sihle Zikalala in a bitter battle.

The so-called rebels went to court in July last year to ask for a rerun‚ citing various irregularities.

Zikalala said that during his meeting‚ agency representatives had been anxious about the court challenge.

“They wanted to know about the court judgment from Pietermaritzburg and its implications on the ANC‚” he said.

“I told them that the court case was about ANC internal matters and the ANC is dealing with those issues. The ANC is an old organisation and it will deal with these matters with maturity.”

The landmark legal bid to nullify the provincial executive committee of the party has exposed cracks in the party. In the wake of the judgment‚ the PEC seemed at odds with the mother body on whether or not it would appeal the ruling.

Former KwaZulu-Natal premier Zweli Mkhize said the provincial body had to submit to the national executive committee‚ but the ANC Youth League in the province told the national leadership to back off. The Youth League was later admonished for their defiance.