Mantashe booed at ANC KZN conference
Chaos erupted at the ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal provincial conference on Friday night as national party chairperson Gwede Mantashe was booed as he took to the podium.
Disgruntled members‚ who are seemingly supporters of former president Jacob Zuma‚ chanted “Wenzeni uZuma‚ wenzeni uZuma” - which‚ loosely translated‚ means: “What did Zuma do?”
[BREAKING NEWS] ANC National Chair, Gwede Mantashe, is prevented from addressing the #KZNANC consultative conference by delegates who are chanting “what has Zuma done?” But Mantashe is equally determined to force his way, instructing regional leaders to speak to their delegates. pic.twitter.com/XRnf5v2Dal
— Xoli Mngambi (@XoliMngambi) June 8, 2018
Mantashe‚ who was deployed to the conference to deliver a keynote address on behalf of the party’s top brass‚ was prevented from speaking despite attempts from provincial coordinator Sihle Zikalala pleading with them to stop chanting and singing.
A SowetanLIVE reporter witnessed the majority of delegates singing and banging tables each time Mantashe attempted to speak.
However‚ Mantashe said he was going to speak despite the disruptions from a “minority”.
“Unfortunately I am going to speak here tonight unless it is not an ANC meeting. If it’s a factional meeting‚ I won’t speak‚” said Mantashe.
Several reporters at the conference said that media was later asked to leave the venue as the meeting became increasingly tense.
An ANC meeting here, is disrupted by a minority. When you speak Cde Sihle Zikalala, they stop. They have an impression that they are your faction, and they are not. #ANCKZN
— Gwede Mantashe (@GwedeMantashe1) June 8, 2018
It is understood that Mantashe was booed as a result of him being aligned to now ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa leading up the party’s elective conference in December.
The provincial elective conference was meant to start on Friday and end on Sunday‚ but was interdicted by disgruntled members.
The KwaZulu-Natal high court in Pietermaritzburg granted an urgent application preventing the election from going ahead. The case was adjourned to 7 July.