The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal has revealed some of the wards that did not make the Independent Electoral Commission’s deadline to register candidates for the upcoming local government elections.
At least seven ANC municipalities in the province failed to register their candidates :
Most of the affected municipalities are in the Zululand District.
Addressing the media in Durban, Provincial Secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli said they were backing calls from the party’s national office, for the IEC to re-open the candidates’ registration process, even for a day.
“In general, Gizenga, Aqhina Mpanza region, we also do not have ward candidates registered in KwaDukuza Wards 2, 10, 20, 22 and 24. In iNdwedwe Local Municipality within the same region, we were not able to have ward candidates registered in the following wards, 11, 10, 13, and 15.”
Ntuli has reassured the party’s members that they are working to resolve the matter.
“In all other municipalities and other regions throughout the province of KZN, the ANC is well represented, having registered all candidates in all other districts and with the exception of the one that was mentioned. Of course, the PEC is deeply concerned that this situation might not only and merely replace the ANC in these municipalities but will effectively undermine the advancement of the National Democratic Revolution which is only represented by the ANC. The PEC believes that the organisation has learnt some lessons with regard to the ICC electronic candidate registration with installations and attended mistakes.”
Health MEC contravention of coronavirus regulations
The party has also welcomed the decision by Premier Sihle Zikalala to cut Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane’s salary by 50% for flouting COVID-19 regulations.
This comes after a video featuring Simelane at a party without a mask, went viral on social media.
Premier Zikalala fined Simelane half her salary and ordered her to apologise for her conduct.
Although opposition parties are not satisfied with this decision, ANC’s Provincial Secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, says they believe Simelane has learnt her lesson.
“The ANC expects the MECs in general and the MEC of Health in particular as a principled leader in the war against the coronavirus pandemic to be always exemplary. The ANC further calls on people of KwaZulu-Natal to remain vigilant in an ongoing war against the coronavirus given the fact that the numbers are showing that KZN has got more numbers of people subjected to daily infection.”
