The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal says the proposal by President Jacob Zuma for a loser in the ANC presidential race to be automatically declared the deputy president, would have been ideal for forging unity in the organisation.
Zuma made the suggestion during the party’s National Policy Conference, but this was rejected by Cyril Ramaphosa’s supporters. During a breakfast briefing in Durban, the party’s provincial leadership also announced that about half the branches in the province have made their nominations.
The ANC in the province says all party members should have considered President Zuma’s proposal for a loser in the Presidential race to become the Deputy President.
According to party’s provincial spokesperson, Mdumiseni Ntuli this proposal would have ensured that those who would have lost out, would also be accommodated, thereby ensuring unity in the organisation.
“The President made an interesting proposal which was misinterpreted and a dangerous narrative was created may be not by you in the media, but by us who speak through you. The President said, why we don’t go to the national conference, elect everybody who wants to be the president let them contest whoever win becomes the President the second vote among the contenders becomes the deputy President automatically. They said, no you are creating a space for Nkosazane, I’m sure many of those comrade who may be supporting comrade Ramaphosa or who may be genuine about the effort to overcome slate politics will remember Zuma for that. Because where we are now is inevitable that we are likely to have one group get elected,” says Ntuli.
The provincial leadership also announced that almost half of the province’s branches have made their nominations. According to the party in the province, only one branch has officially lodged an objection.
This is despite ward 37, ward 32 and ward 4 in eThekwini having raised concerns that their branch general meetings were flawed.
According to ANCYL provincial Chairperson, Kwazi Mshengu about half of the branches in the province have held their branch meetings, nominated and elected delegates to attend the December conference.
“The nominations so far are proceeding very well as it stands now there are 247 branches that have nominated Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, 69 branches have nominated Cyril Ramaphosa and two branches have nominated Zweli Mkhize. Which proves wrong by the way a narrative that has been propounded in the society that KZN is highly divided, we think that the outcome of branch nominations proves that KZN still enjoys a high level of stability and unity. Obviously there will be comrades who hold a particular view, but holding a particular view does not mean divisions because everyone is allowed to express his or her views,” says Mshengu.
The eThekwini Regional Secretary, Bheki Ntuli has dismissed suggestions that a handful of branches in the region have lodged disputes after their branch general meetings were allegedly flawed. According to Ntuli, only one ward has so far lodged an objection.
