New KZN ANC leadership team hasn't even started their work‚ but already protests abound

29 January 2018 - 15:28 By Jeff Wicks
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

The newly-formed ANC Provincial Interim Committee - set to lay the foundation for a rerun of the provincial elective conference in three months - drew a vocal picket in Durban on Monday.

A group of demonstrators‚ clearly aligned to ousted former KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu‚ gathered outside the ANC’s provincial headquarters.

The party’s leadership in the province has been on rocky ground‚ with a court challenge by a group of “rebels” having successfully nullified the elective process which saw the installation of the provincial executive committee in 2016.

ANC NEC members‚ including members of the party’s Top Six‚ descended on the province last Tuesday to formally communicate the decision which is in line with the party’s renewal strategy ahead of next year’s national elections.

Newly-elected ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule formally suspended the KZN executive and replaced them with an interim structure‚ convened by former KZN economic development and tourism Mike Mabuyakhulu and coordinated by his predecessor and former ANC provincial chairman Sihle Zikalala.

Other members are Willies Mchunu‚ Peggy Nkonyeni‚ Maggie Govender‚ Super Zuma‚ Mluleki Ndobe‚ Cyril Xaba‚ Nomusa Dube-Ncube‚ Nhlakanipho Ntombela‚ Mdumiseni Ntuli‚ Gugu Simelane Zulu‚ Bongi Sithole-Moloi and Makhosi Ntuli.

Zikalala‚ the erstwhile provincial chair‚ said that the had engaged with the group of demonstrators amicably.

"Their concern is that KZN has been going through difficulties and divisions and they don’t believe that we will be able to convene a rerun conference within the set time frame‚” he said.

"We will be meeting these comrades next week and we want to try and get one or two members of the NEC to do this with us. We believe that the issues they have raised should be passed on to the National Executive Committee.”

Zikalala said that it was important to lay the foundation for a successful conference by ensuring inclusiveness.

Mabuyakulu said that the process of renewal and building unity in the party is a serious one.

"It is incumbent on every member of the ANC to make their own contribution to make sure that the ANC is stronger and reinvigorated. We want to say to our members throughout the province that this process must be inclusive and we must reduce the unnecessary tensions with this process and we have an opportunity to rebuild and start afresh‚” he said.

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now