We want the ANC to emerge more united from the Elective Conference
14 December 2017
The African National Congress (ANC) National Elective Conference, scheduled to start tomorrow, will provide the governing party with the opportunity to restore unity and integrity ahead of the crucial 2019 general elections.
In a wide ranging interview with SABC TV ahead of the conference, the ANC Provincial Chairperson, Cde Sihle Zikalala, said the province wanted to see a well-balanced new leadership collective which would accommodate all comrades who had different views leading up to the conference.
“We have just completed a period which saw people energetically campaigning for their preferred candidates. The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has also pronounced on its preferred candidates. Our view, however, is that political preferences should not affect the organisation to a point where other comrades who can play a role and contribute are put aside and isolated. We are going to the conference with a view of embracing and ensuring that those who do not support our preferred candidates are also included in the National Executive Committee. We have to restore unity and integrity,” Cde Zikalala said.
Among comrades who needed to be part of the leadership collective, Cde Zikalala said, were former ANCKZN Chairpersons Cde Zweli Mkhize and Cde Senzo Mchunu. “We value the collective contribution of Cdes Mkhize and Cde Mchunu to both our movement and government. We will ensure that they become part of the leadership collective.”
Cde Zikalala conceded that while the ANC in KZN was happy with the processes leading up to the elective conference, it had been taken aback by the conduct of the Elexion Agency which oversaw the nomination process during the Provincial General Council (PGC) in Durban earlier this month.
“There were serious gaps when the Elexion Agency, which consolidated nominations, presented its report during the PGC. It was like they wanted to impose someone on us. We are not going to allow the manipulation of the electoral system. Attempts to try to rig the conference are not going to succeed. We will be vigilant and we will monitor the process.”
Delegates from KwaZulu-Natal have been told to exercise maximum discipline during the conference, Cde Zikalala said. “We have heard rumours that some people are planning to collapse the conference. As KwaZulu-Natal, we are not going to allow anyone to collapse the conference. We are going to engage other provinces to ensure that unruly elements are isolated and no ill-discipline is allowed in the conference. Delegates must debate robustly as it is the culture of the ANC and there must be discipline and harmony in the conference.”
One of the immediate tasks for the new ANC leadership would be to revive the alliance, added Cde Zikalala. “The alliance is going through serious challenges at the moment. The new leadership will have to quickly convene sessions where differences among alliance partners are going to be addressed. We cannot afford to have a weak alliance. We need a united alliance so that we can advance our revolution.”
KwaZulu-Natal was not happy that strategic and crucial ANC policies were not implemented by ANC deployees in government, Cde Zikalala added. “During the previous conferences we made it clear that we needed to have a state bank, a state mining company and a state pharmaceutical company. Yet, this has not happened. This has to change, we have to start taking actions against comrades who do not implement our policies.”
Issued by Mdumiseni Ntuli, Provincial Spokesperson, ANC KZN, 14 December 2017
