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Pre-Nasrec animosities are continuing to play out in KwaZulu-Natal’s Moses Mabhida region, where factions are still divided between supporters of President Cyril Ramaphosa and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
A mediation process by a dispute resolution committee, headed by ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, is underway in the region.
Moses Mabhida is made up of Pietermaritzburg and surrounding towns such as Richmond. It is the second-largest ANC region in KwaZulu-Natal and is regarded as one of the crucial players in provincial and national politics.
The mediation sessions started on Thursday and continued until late Saturday.
The process came about after 44 branches from four KwaZulu-Natal regions, including Moses Mabhida, got a court interdict against the provincial conference early in June, forcing it to collapse.
The branches’ major grievances include alleged gatekeeping so that the outcome of regional and provincial conferences could be manipulated.
The aggrieved members insist they have been victimised for expressing support for Ramaphosa in what is a known stronghold for former president Jacob Zuma.
Last year, ANC presidential hopeful Dlamini-Zuma, who had the former president’s backing, addressed a number of gatherings in the region. Ramaphosa was not afforded the same platform. Many in the region are said to be more loyal to Zuma than the incumbent president.
Siyabonga Hlongwa has been one of the leading figures in challenging both the regional and provincial structures. He said that while they had faith in the ANC, they would adopt a wait-and-see approach.
“We do not want to see the ANC embarrassed, as has been the case in the past, where matters that could have been resolved internally are attended to in courts. That is why this process needs to be given a chance,” he said.
The aggrieved members say the now-dissolved regional executive committee (REC) in Moses Mabhida turned a blind eye to corrupt practices in municipalities.
They say this led to the near collapse of governance in some of them, as reflected in qualified audit opinions and disclaimers in some municipalities.
The REC was chaired by Mthandeni Dlungwane. Mzi Zuma was the secretary.
The members have accused the dissolved REC of trying to blindside them by trying to hold the regional conference last week. The gathering was called off at the insistence of the provincial leadership on Sunday last week, amid fears of another court challenge.
Hlongwa told City Press that the weekend mediation process – in which aggrieved members and the accused appeared at the same time – allowed for a balanced reporting process.
He said they regard the weekend’s developments as an important step, but that the process would have to be taken further.
“The next move should be to go to branches and hold meetings where membership will be applied for and acquired, without any gatekeeping.”
A member of the ANC Youth League accused Hlongwa and his colleagues of inflating the number of branches that had problems, in a bid to claim legitimacy.
“We know that they have been lobbying people to launch grievances since the news that Comrade Jessie would be here,” said the youth league member.
An Umkhonto weSizwe veteran said the opposing factions wanted total control of the region.
“The CR17 [Ramaphosa] grouping feels that the Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma crew should make way for them. That cannot be good for the ANC,” said the veteran.
ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Mdumiseni Ntuli referred requests for comment to provincial coordinator Sihle Zikalala, who was not available.
