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Intervention by the top leadership of the ANC has again failed to reconcile warring factions in the embattled province of KwaZulu-Natal, where yet another legal battle threatens to collapse a second attempt to elect leaders.
History has repeated itself this afternoon with some disgruntled members attempting an eleventh-hour interdict moments before the start of the provincial conference.
Provincial convener Sihle Zikalala confirmed that there were some members of the party who were trying to derail the much-anticipated gathering, which failed to start at the scheduled 2pm.
It’s understood that the members come from the Moses Mabhida and Lower South Coast regions.
An attempt to have the conference sit last month was also foiled by a court interdict in favour of members from the regions of the Lower South Coast, Moses Mabhida and Harry Gwala regions.
Much emphasis was placed on the need for unity in the province yesterday evening, when secretary-general hopeful and provincial task team member, Mdumiseni Ntuli, addressed a cadres’ forum in eThekwini.
“The worst enemies of the movement in the current phase of the [national democratic revolution] are those who are against unity while talking about unity,” Ntuli said.
“We must not allow differences from the 2015 conference to be made permanent because when you resolve them there are fewer positions, we won’t all make it.”
Ntuli warned that there were opponents of renewal within the ANC, saying that members of the organisation should guard against that opposition.
“If there is a task that we cannot postpone anymore, it is how do we renew the ANC.
“We must understand that renewal like any other responsibility will have its own opponents. Some of those opponents will be found inside our own movement. The worst enemies of the movement in the current phase of the national democratic revolution are those who are against unity while talking about unity. That is the type of person we must guard against in the provincial conference and going forward,” the former spokesperson said to rapturous applause from the crowd of young leaders, some of whom were delegates at the three-day conference.
Ntuli will face off with former secretary-general Super Zuma for the most powerful position in the province.
Earlier today Zuma was greeted by his supporters when he entered the accreditation venue with the song “asinalo uvalo uye lo uuSuper esimthandayo” (we have no fear this is the Super we love).
It is expected that Zikalala will return to the position of chairperson uncontested.
Zikalala was adamant that the conference would go ahead, following widespread engagements in the province with national leadership by way of the national disputes resolution committee led by deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was expected to give the opening address of the conference.
Speaking in the province last week, Ramaphosa said that it was not true that the province was a no-go area for him.
This was after he emerged victorious over home favourite Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma at the ANC’s elective conference in December last year.
During the last attempt at a conference, national officials were represented by chairperson Gwede Mantashe, who was booed by a large number of delegates who refused to allow him to speak, drowning him out with the song, “wenzeni uZuma?” referring to former president Jacob Zuma.
