By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile has told delegates that the 9th ANC KZN provincial conference needed to unite and ensure that the movement remained alive.
The conference, which was supposed to start at 10am at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Friday, got going only around 4pm.
More than 1,000 delegates have gathered at the conference venue.
In an official address at the opening of the 9th ANC KZN conference held at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban, Mashatile said the conference outcomes must not divide the ANC and no one would be declared winner or loser.
Mashatile also paid tribute to the late deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte who died on Sunday.
“Comrade Jessie was the pillar of strength as the organisation and we will always cherish the times we shared with her. She was a mother to many and remained loyal to the organisation, “Mashatile said.
He conceded that the ANC was facing attacks from those opposed to its ideological position.
Mashatile said some of the attacks needed to be countered and members of the party should ensure they defended the movement where necessary.
“Renewal is about returning the ANC to its values of unity, honesty, hard work, service and values of democratic centralism, criticism, and values of discipline.
Mashatile said this conference must take the party in the province forward and delegates must engage in robust discussions.
Outgoing provincial chairperson Sihle Zikalala delivering his political report of the province, he said that the year 2021 was characterised by a painful period with the arrest of the former head of state which followed a ruling by the ConCourt.
“We are deeply pained by the decision of the apex court which we believe could have been averted if president Zuma’s wish for the Commission Chair to recuse himself had been granted.
Zikalala stated that the sentence for the beloved elderly statesman was harsh and the sentence imposed deviated from established prescripts where Zuma was sentenced to 15 months as opposed to the six months’ provision in the Commissions Act.
“Before he handed himself in for incarceration, we registered our concerns as this PEC frankly to the national leadership and cautioned about its potential danger to the people of the province and the lasting wounds it could inflict.
“When he handed himself in, we continued to engage and appealed for a permanent solution including even the consideration of a presidential pardon now that Nxamalala (Zuma) was sadly put behind bars.”
Reflecting on the protests and the looting that erupted during the July unrest of 2021, he said the explosion of the scale of violence and its character had never been experienced in democratic South Africa.
The unrest was characterised by destruction and looting which left over 354 people dead and thousands more injured. Infrastructure was destroyed; business properties and equipment were damaged while business operations were halted.”
Zikalala said the conference had to look beyond the obvious and be honest with themselves because it was clear that the unrest was symptomatic of deep, underlying challenges of inequality and poverty that needed to be addressed.
He said the ANC has made meaningful progress in changing people’s lives.
Despite eThekwini regional leadership’s insistence on nominating Zandile Gumede for a top five position in the elective conference the party’s national leadership has ruled her nomination out.
National executive committee (NEC) member Dakota Legoete told the media on the sidelines of the conference in Durban that no member who was on the step aside rule would accept the nomination for any position in the conference, adding that if that particular member did accept the nomination she or he would be violating or undermining the NEC decision.
He said the NEC was a decision-making body in between conferences so it was within its right to amend the rule, adding that branches would have to challenge the decision at the national conference in December.
“Let us not confuse matters. No member who is on step aside will contest any position. So that was made clear to all members,” said Legoete.
The latest rumour circulating on social networks is that President Cyril Ramaphosa will be arrested for the forex saga at his Phala Phala farm when he arrives in KZN to address the conference.
This follows a march in the Durban city centre on Wednesday morning led by Carl Niehaus, a staunch supporter of former president Jacob Zuma who was sacked from working in the ANC offices, and Nkosenhle Shezi, a spokesperson for the Radical Economic Transformation (RET) faction of the ANC.
The marchers demanded that the police arrest Ramaphosa when he comes to KZN to close the provincial conference. MK veterans and a number of organisations joined the march, which ended at the KZN police headquarters.
Ramaphosa is widely expected to close the KZN ANC provincial conference on Sunday.
The conference has been threatened with litigation as disgruntled members in eThekwini challenge the legitimacy of some branch delegates in attendance.
More than five proposed slates have been doing the rounds, with some wanting to retain the status quo, which will mean Sihle Zikalala and Mdumiseni Ntuli retaining their respective roles as chairperson and secretary, while others have been pushing to see those believed to be aligned to embattled national executive committee member, Zweli Mkhize’s allies rising to control the ANC’s largest province.
This all hinges on eThekwini, the governing party’s largest region in the country, which is expected to decide on its preferred candidates at the 11th hour.
By Friday evening, some in the region had proposed two names – Bhekinkosi Mtolo and Ntuli – as their preferred candidates for provincial secretary, with the hope that branches in the region would help by supporting either one of the two.
If Ntuli fails to return to the helm, he would have served just one term in office.
Numerous names have been thrown in the hat in the race for chairperson, with Zikalala remaining a main contender, however, it is believed that he will be in a tight race with senior party member Siboniso Duma, while some continue raising Nomusa Dube Ncube, the current treasurer as the best option for provincial chair.
These are just a few names in a long list of those who believe they are the ideal candidates to lead the province, including businessman Sandile Zungu, but are likely to be narrowed down to just two or three when the nominations are counted and presented before the conference.