In the running: eThekwini regional chairperson Zandile Gumede is likely to contest a position in her province’s top five. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
Fresh from being elected as chair of the influential eThekwini region, Zandile Gumede has now set her sights on a seat among the province’s top five.
Not only has Gumede consolidated control of the region, but she is now being touted as part of the slate that will likely contest against KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala in the June provincial conference.
Gumede managed a victory against Cyril Ramaphosa ally Thabani Nyawose in a conference that was seen as a litmus test of whether the ANC and South Africa president’s detractors could forge ahead with the plan to unseat him.
Ramaphosa could be in for a gruelling contest in December when the governing party holds its five-yearly national elective conference.
Among those who have already signalled they may stand against him is KwaZulu-Natal heavyweight and former health minister Zweli Mkhize, who threw his weight behind Gumede’s successful campaign.
Those in Gumede’s inner circle are said to have already started lobbying other regions for a slate that will include her in the provincial top five. This could pave an easy path for Mkhize to emerge in the party’s top six.
So far, Gumede is said to be eyeing the KwaZulu-Natal treasurer post, alongside provincial heavyweight Ntuthuko Mahlaba. Gumede, who was elected in absentia, because she is affected by the ANC’s step-aside rule, owing to a pending criminal case, received 210 votes; her opponent Nyawose, currently the eThekwini speaker, received 181.
Gumede’s slate, which is backed by the ANC’s radical economic transformation (RET) faction, made a clean sweep of the top five posts in the region, one of the most influential in the country.
Thembo Ntuli, who stood as her deputy, beat Mthunzi Dlamini by 205 votes to 186; Musa Nciki, the slate’s candidate for regional secretary, beat Bheki Ntuli by 217 votes to 174. The deputy secretary’s position was won by Nkosenhle Madlala with 211 votes, defeating Thanduxolo Sabelo, who had 179 votes. Nomthandazo Shabalala becomes secretary with 205 votes over Ntokozo Sibiya, who received 186 votes.
Neither Shabalala nor Gumede were allowed to attend the conference, because they are out on bail on corruption charges and will go on trial next month over the R400-million Durban Solid Waste tender. Neither will be able to take up their ANC duties until their court case is completed.
The regional players are also considering whether Mdumiseni Ntuli should be part of the package in the Gumede slate. Ntuli, the brother of Thembo Ntuli, also hails from eThekwini and is currently the provincial secretary, with ambitions of taking over Zikalala’s position.
“We are now focused on consolidating the region, because some of the people that didn’t support us are not based on national factions, but the regional dynamics,” one regional leader said.
“Secondly, we will move towards the province, and do a proper assessment. What we want is [to] remove one of the two between Sihle and Mdumiseni. It would be easier for us to stand against Sihle, because he is not from our region. Mdumiseni is different, but if our assessment says remove both and have another candidate for chair, we are willing to replace Mdumiseni.”
Although eThekwini was not shy in expressing its backing for Mkhize to contest the December elections, the regional leaders in Gumede’s inner circle said they would not pronounce on him, pending agreements with other regions.
“The mention of Zweli immediately invites national leaders and destabilises our mission.
Zweli poses a problem in that we don’t need enemies for now,” another regional leader said.
“We need to start engaging Nyawose and his supporters first for the provincial conference. We know Nyawose is supporting Sihle for now, but they have also said they don’t have a problem with [Gumede] ascending to the province. We are still on very shaky ground so we can’t be too excited and shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Another provincial leader the Gumede faction is considering aligning with is eMalahleni regionalperson chair Ntuthuko Mahlaba, who is said to be in control of some regions in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Mahlaba was also affected by the step-aside resolution after he allegedly assaulted a worker, assisted by his bodyguards. He resisted the resolution, but was eventually removed from the ANC’s local government election council list. Mahlaba was, however, re-elected as regional chair.
“Mahlaba has consolidated a number of people in the provincial executive committee behind him,” one of the regional leaders said.
KwaZulu-Natal chairperson Sihle Zikalala. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
“He was with Ramaphosa and Senzo Nchunu, but after he won the region changed somewhat. He has become stronger and his allies have even won against Zweli’s faction in the Mzala Nxumalo region. His faction was defeated in General Gizenga Mpanza’s [KwaDukuza] region, so he has strength in the north of KwaZulu-Natal. He would be a good ally.”
Gumede’s emergence as regional chair in the ANC’s most powerful region was a point of contention during this week’s meeting of the national working committee (NWC), with Ramaphosa allies calling for all those who have stepped aside to refrain from contesting.
The NWC resolved to seek legal advice before taking the matter to the national executive committee for deliberations. Some of Ramaphosa’s allies are said to have suggested that the ANC’s image was taking a knock after Gumede’s election.
According to party insiders privy to the debate, the newly appointed co-ordinator in the secretary general’s office, Gwen Ramokgopa, made the suggestion and was seconded by Ronald Lamola and Snuki Zikalala. Those who opposed included Dakota Legoete and Nomvula Mokonyane, who insisted that the NWC would be in contravention of the ANC constitution.
“We reflected on it. They wanted the NWC to make a recommendation and they didn’t get it. The first person to be elected was Ntuthuko [Mahlaba] and they were quiet and we know why, because he is Senzo’s [Mchunu] person; the Mpumalanga issue; and now there is Zandile,” one insider said.
“Even before the region voted, NEC [national executive committee] members were up in arms saying that she must be discouraged from contesting and now this matter comes here rather than the leadership saying ‘What does this mean?’ It says a lot about the attitude of our members. It’s members of the ANC who are rejecting this [step-aside] resolution, how it’s applied, and how do you disenfranchise someone who has not been found guilty. It’s prejudice.”
One ANC leader in KwaZulu-Natal said the step-aside resolution was now serving as a “proxy referendum” on the prospects of the current leadership being re-elected in December.
“If you are the custodian of policy direction and you get your rank and file disregarding the thrust of the policy direction and defying it indirectly, it becomes clear it implies that these people electing those who have been forced to step aside, their drive is to repeal the step aside because they won’t elect people to stay at home,” they said.
The provincial leader said there were also talks by some branches that a repeal of the step-aside rule must be passed and branches must insist that suspended ANC secretary general Ace Magashule return to his position at the July policy conference.
An NEC member considered to be part of the RET faction agreed, adding that they supported talks that the step-aside resolution should be reviewed.
“This proposal by NWC serves to escalate tensions. If they now challenge the rank and file, branches will say how else can they revolt against you. There [are] 52 regions in the country, you may find that almost all of them have one person who is influential enough in the context of that particular region that the people who support them will — independently of what that person says — want to see them elected,” the NEC member said.
“There is a chance you could have regions that may not have been willing to support anyone in challenging the state president, but are now presented with a separate motivation localised to their person who is facing step aside.
“This could then benefit someone standing against you by default because repealing this resolution is a vote of no confidence in the leadership. You cannot have step aside repeal[ed] and the leadership stands because you have made this one of your signature policies. When it is rejected what is being said about you?” they added.
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