By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The contest for the top ANC provincial position is going to be between Premier Sihle Zikalala and KZN Legislature senior MPL, Siboniso Duma, who met the threshold from branch nominations.
Both Zikalala and Duma have accepted the nomination, while MEC of finance Nomusa Dube-Ncube and businessman Sandile Zungu received the nominations from the floor, Dube-Ncube did not meet the 25% threshold and Zungu declined it.
Duma who is currently a chair of chairs in the provincial legislature has surprisingly emerged as a favourite to take over as chairperson and Bheki Mtolo as secretary general.
The deal for the two former youth league leaders in the province was clinched on Thursday night in eThekwini’s regional general council.
The eThekwini RGC also decided to back Nomagugu Simelane for Deputy Chairperson and Sipho Hlomuka for the position of Deputy Secretary.
Criminally charged Zandile Gumede has declined nomination for Treasurer despite having been the only candidate that qualified for nomination for the position through the branch nomination process.
Of the 770 branches in good standing, Gumede needed 20% of the votes which translates to 154 of the branches to nominate her which she received. Following her nomination, ANC eThekwini secretary Musa Nciki stood up to inform the conference that Gumede “as a disciplined member and one who respects the ANC’s step aside rule, will not be accepting nomination.”
Jomo Sibiya and Ntutuko Mahlaba were then nominated from the floor to stand for the treasurer position. Any candidate nominated from the floor will have to receive 25% of the votes from the voting delegates.
From the credentials that were adopted, there are 1607 voting delegates meaning that the candidate nominated from the floor would have to get 402 votes.