The African National Congress’s (ANC) influential eThekwini (Durban) region has recreated the fading momentum around ANC deputy president Jacob Zuma by again backing his presidential nomination, despite the nomination process only formally opening after the ANC’s policy conference taking place in June.
The eThekwini region — the largest of 11 in KwaZulu-Natal with 17 500 members — decided at its regional general conference in Tongaat last weekend to ‘reaffirm†a 2005 provincial general council (PGC) decision to back Zuma’s presidential nomination.
James Nxumalo, the region’s communications officer, said the resolution to ‘reaffirm the PGC decision that there should be no other [presidential] nomination from KwaZulu-Natal except comrade JZ†was to clear up any confusion in the ANC rank and file, especially after media reports of divisions in party structures about who to back for the ANC leadership.
Nxumalo said speculation in the media and ‘some people who have been lobbying for this and that†had led to the need for clarity regarding Zuma’s nomination.
However, he indirectly highlighted an apparent contradiction by conceding that a ‘democratic process†starting at branch level and leading up to regional and provincial levels still had to be followed.
The ANC’s KwaZulu-Natal secretary, Senzo Mchunu, echoed this, saying ‘the branches must come together again to decide†before seeking to influence the party’s regions. A final decision would be taken at a future PGC meeting.
However, he added: ‘Our KwaZulu-Natal position is for Jacob Zuma for president, and that should stand.â€
Bheki Cele, eThekwini’s regional chair and provincial community safety minister, said: ‘I don’t know who these people are, but there are some suggestions in the press that there is division about the decision [to nominate Zuma as president].
‘Other regions can talk for themselves, but I haven’t heard any other regions talking about anything contrary [to the decision to back Zuma].â€
Some ANC insiders have seen the announcement as part of a continuing strategy by pro-Zuma leaders in KwaZulu-Natal to head off ‘contra- mobilisation†by Mbeki supporters in the province.
They apparently also seek to limit the damage to Zuma’s image since the PGC decision in 2005 to back him as next ANC leader. This was reaffirmed last year at a PGC meeting at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
A well-placed source said: ‘The idea behind the move was to keep the issue alive. It’s a long time between 2005 and 2007, and if you don’t keep talking about [Zuma’s nomination], if you don’t keep rubbing it in, it might be forgotten.â€
It is still not clear whether the eThekwini delegation at next December’s national conference in Limpopo will vote as a homogenous bloc.
‘We will all go there with the intention of giving maximum support to Zuma, but obviously delegates may change their mind,†said a source who attended the weekend’s eThekwini regional council meeting.
Alex Amtaika, a senior lecturer at UKZN’s school of politics, said the move could have been precipitated by the events since 2005 — particularly Zuma’s rape trial and his links with convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik — which may have tarnished the image of the ANC deputy president.