Battle lines drawn over ANC leadership in KZN

Durban - Fierce campaigning for the highly contested position of ANC chairperson in KwaZulu-Natal has begun, with lists of preferred candidates circulating on social media.

Battle lines have been drawn between two camps, one supporting current chairperson Senzo Mchunu and the other supporting current provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala.

Mchunu’s camp has listed Peggy Nkonyeni as deputy chair, Nhlakanipho Ntombela as secretary, Nomusa Dube as the deputy secretary, and Mike Mabuyakhulu as the treasurer.

Zikalala’s camp has named Willies Mchunu as the deputy chair and Super Zuma as the provincial secretary, Nomusa Dube as the treasurer, and Mluleki Ndobe as the deputy secretary.

Provincial secretary Sihle Zikalala announced last week that the provincial conference, which was scheduled to be held in May 2014, would be held at the end of November.

Earlier this month the ANCYL in KwaZuku-Natal announced it would support Zikalala as the provincial chairperson and Zuma as the provincial secretary.

‘We want a younger leader’

ANCYL chairperson Thami Ngubane said they believed Senzo Mchunu has made his contribution in the ANC in the province.

"We expect nothing new from him, he has reached the ceiling.

“We want a younger leader who will breathe new life to the ANC in the province and we believe that Zikalala is that leader."

Ngubane said he believed Zikalala would win uncontested.

A party insider in Mchunu’s camp, who asked not to be named said they were currently attending Branch General Meetings and "the two slates would be put on the table for discussion".

"They [Zikalala’s camp] won’t unseat Sihle because he is very grounded. He doesn’t campaign in the media, like Zikalala. Senzo’s camp is working on the ground and gaining momentum."

He said uThungulu district Deputy Mayor Thulani Mashaba, who died in a car accident in July, was tipped to replace Zikalala as the provincial secretary.

Another source said: "Zikalala’s list first had Bongiwe Sithole-Moloi as the deputy secretary, but she was replaced by Mluleki Ndobe. Some people in the caucuses are not happy, because they were not consulted on why she was removed.

"There are some in the party that view Nomusa's placement as a demotion from deputy secretary to treasurer."

Zikalala was not immediately available to comment and he did not respond to requests for comment.

This article first appeared on News 24 (see here)