By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa will not be giving closing remarks at the party’s 9th KwaZulu-Natal elective conference.
This was confirmed by Siboniso Duma, the newly elected chairperson of the party in the province. Duma said Ramaphosa had phoned to congratulate him and the new top leadership on Saturday night.
Speaking to the media on Sunday morning, Duma said Ramaphosa called to congratulate him and the newly-elected leadership.
“This morning the president called and congratulated the new leadership, but also expressed that he would not be able to close the conference due to other commitments,” said Duma.
#ANCKZN9thProvincialConference Prov Chair Cde S Duma ⬛️?? pic.twitter.com/EjOuLOTuCM
— #VoteANC (@ANCKZN) July 24, 2022
Ramaphosa was widely expected to be booed, and pro-Zuma songs were most likely going to be directed towards him had he given the closing remarks.
Duma was elected provincial chairperson on Saturday, with KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane deputy chairperson, Bheki Mtolo provincial secretary, Sipho Hlomuka deputy secretary and Ntuthuko Mahlaba as treasurer.
KZN is the ANC’s largest province, which continues to show some resistance against Ramaphosa since his rise to power in 2017.
The province did not support his bid, it also emerged as the Nasrec conference’s biggest loser, failing to feature anywhere amongst the top officials, while some ANC members in KZN have taken an affront to the party on Ramaphosa’s watch over what they’ve defined as the “ill-treatment” of former president Jacob Zuma.
A popular song “Wenzeni u’Zuma” (what has Zuma done), has found expression during conference proceedings, with some members claiming they are registering their unhappiness with the current leadership over its approach to the former ANC president and head of state.
Zuma was also jailed for 15 months for being in contempt of the constitutional court last year. He is still on medical parole.