Crunch time for ANC KZN

With ANC provincial general council meetings in almost all nine provinces completed, all eyes turn to KwaZulu-Natal today.

There has been no word on the dozens of complaints made by branches about chaotic branch general meeting nomination processes.

KwaZulu-Natal, the province with the most ANC national elective conference delegates, is expected to endorse Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma as its presidential candidate following her affirmation by the Free State and Mpumalanga.

Arch-rival Cyril Ramaphosa has been nominated by the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, the Northern Cape and Gauteng, and Limpopo is expected to endorse him on Monday, when the ANC's provincial general council sits to consolidate nominations.

Ramaphosa's slate claimed two weeks ago that they had made serious inroads in a number of regions in KwaZulu-Natal, surpassing their own expectations, with hundreds of branches nominating the deputy president.

KwaZulu-Natal ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said this week that the provincial council would assess the province's state of readiness ahead of the national elective conference.

"It will also put policy positions in the spotlight. The PGC will also sharpen perspectives on issues of land [expropriation without compensation] radical economic transformation, unity and the 2019 elections," he said.

Ntuli said the provincial general council would be attended by more than 700 delegates from ANC branches, leagues, alliance partners and guests invited by the provincial executive committee.

He said it would also serve as the biggest political school under the theme "Advancing Radical Socioeconomic Transformation to build a National Democratic Society".

"The PGC is convened to sharply raise policies and to affirm leadership nominations with the Independent Electoral Commission.

"It will open boxes containing nominations from the branches and consolidate the province's perspective for the 54th national conference at Nasrec, Johannesburg," he said.

The provincial general council meeting will be held at the Olive Convention Centre today and on Tuesday.