'We will intervene decisively': Mbalula on fate of KZN ANC structure

The fate of the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal remains uncertain as the party's national working committee structure deliberates on its future, deferring the final decision to its national executive meeting scheduled to take place in two weeks' time.

Despite the disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal structure being mooted, party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula insists the organisation is yet to make a final decision and is weighing up its options.

“I can tell you now, we know what is the problem in KZN and we then need to take a decision about how we are going to help our province of KZN to respond to the sort of challenges that have brought us to 17% (which the party received in the May 29 elections).”

The party has identified KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng as the provinces most affected by the party's declines at the polls, which have necessitated national intervention.

The national working committee has heard from the KwaZulu-Natal officials for the final time, after which it will make representations to the national executive committee, which will be the final arbiter on the provincial structure's fate.

“This meeting was not called to disband or to announce a decision of intervention, it was to finalise our work. We have been engaging on organisational analysis about what's happening and what we think must actually happen in these provinces.

“The NWC processed that analysis and then took it to KZN and they have not disputed our analysis in terms of the diagnosis we have actually made. What they don't know is what is the prognosis and the biggest worry and the buzzword is disbandment and so on,” he said.

Despite not having reached a decision, Mbalula did not rule out disbandment of the structure as an option the party has to explore.

“Disbandment can be taken if it has to be taken to intervene in response to that situation there. It is part of the options that we'll look at when we meet next week before the NEC meeting, if we agree we'll table it to the NEC and then we implement as leaders tasked with taking the party to its next conference,” said Mbalula.

“Disbandment is not the only option you can arrive at in these particular provinces but there's no way the status quo can continue like it is business as usual. You've got to respond to that particular situation and it is the national executive committee that must do that,” he said.

According to Mbalula , their biggest target is to regain lost ground and it will need augmented leadership in the province to achieve that task.

“You've got to be a leadership that is decisive. It's now about mobility, we are fighting a Ferrari with a Conquest you know so we need to match a Ferrari with a flying machine, a gulf stream that moves faster in seconds to surpass what is happening there.

“We are doing something about those who said that they got the ANC to be weaker. We will rebuild it and we'll come back stronger. We are not going to surrender the ANC to Jacob Zuma or anyone.”

Mbalula described the process of hounding out MK Party sleepers in the ANC as a multifaceted process that will transpire over time.

“You deal with them in different ways, by strengthening the organisation and make it a point that the organisation is led by loyal people to its organisation. But you don't go about like a sniffer dog looking at everybody, whether he's MK or not MK, because you'll be pushing even people who are not MK to MK so you take your own decisions.”

He insisted that members who are loyal to the former ruling party will remain and those wishing to cross the floor will announce their imminent exits.

“They will go just like you see some of them every day crossing, going to that party. Others have long left. They were in our branches and then they've been working.

“Some of them have been here in the ANC and they've been effectively mobilising the masses of our people to the other side so you deal with the MK Party by way of ensuring that the organisation cleanses itself. You don't wait, you strike hard and not by chance, which is what we are doing.”

The KwaZulu-Natal leadership was also served with a gag order, prohibiting its leaders from making public utterances about the lengthy meeting with the national working committee.

Mbalula believes this move will quell the noise and any dissent to save the party from public meltdowns and speculation over the structure's future. 

“As far as this matter is concerned, we don't want to see or hear anyone in front of a camera. Our position is very clear: it has been explained that the secretary-general of the ANC will speak on behalf of the ANC on this matter.” 

He read the riot act to leaders who might be planning to rebel, saying he will unleash the party's disciplinary processes on anyone who does not toe the line.

“There's no decision to disband, augment or do anything to anybody as yet so there's nothing to explain more than what I've explained. Anyone who crosses that line will see to finish because the centre must hold. Nobody must talk cross-reference the secretary-general if he's a leader of the ANC in these provinces. We are the ones who speak on behalf of the ANC and its mandated positions.”

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