African National Congress (ANC) branches supporting former eThekwini mayor, Zandile Gumede, have defended their decision to nominate her despite her having stepped aside as mayor due to pending corruption charges.
Gumede and Thabani Nyawose are contesting the position of chairperson in the ANC’s eThekwini region during the elective conference this weekend. The region has been without an elected leadership for years after its term of office lapsed in 2018.
Gumede’s spokesperson Ntando Khuzwayo says the former mayor will not be attending the conference and will step aside if elected chairperson until her case is finalised.
“No, she is not going to attend this conference as you know she is on step aside. We are not worried, remember she was nominated while on step aside, besides she is not the only person who is going to be elected. It is her plus a number of other people, many capable leaders she is going to be leading with so that is not going to be an issue at all,” says Khuzwayo.
Zandile Gumede | Corruption trial against former eThekwini mayor, 21 co-accused to commence in July:
Meanwhile, Nyawose has called on members contesting positions to accept the outcome of the conference.
He has emphasised the importance of unity after the conference.
“We are not contesting as opposition parties; we are contesting as members of the ANC and therefore after the conference must say a particular candidate has emerged. In the true sense of word, it is the ANC that wins. All of us who are candidates and those who are supporting us have to accept the outcome of the conference and make sure that we hit the ground running to make sure that we reconnect with our support base, particularly in the eThekwini region. We have no time for divisions and factions to exist after the conference due to our poor performance in the last Local Government Elections,” says Nyawose.
