Gumede wins ANC’s eThekwini region

Gumede was elected regional chair in the early hours of Sunday morning at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium in a stunning turnaround, winning 283 votes to the one cast for eThekwini metro mayor James Nxumalo.

The last time the leadership battle for the eThekwini region went to the vote back in February, Nxumalo edged Gumede by 253 votes to 212.

In a small marquee on the field of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, and without the presence of Nxumalo and his supporters, voting for the region’s top six positions was concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning.

However, in the lead up to the climax, the party’s fifth attempt to hold the conference was preceded on Saturday by a Durban High Court application to prevent the conference going ahead, and police clashed with members of the branches supporting the application.

Gumede, speaking after her election, said unity needed to be fostered within the ranks of the ANC and urged her supporters to go back to the branches to achieve this.

She is now likely to go on to become mayor of the country’s third largest city, with an annual budget of R39 billion.

So tense was the battle, that Luthuli House stepped in to take charge of the conference in a bid to ensure that it went off without a hitch.

Nxumalo was largely seen as a supporter of KwaZulu-Natal premier Senzo Mchunu, while Gumede was seen to have the backing of Sihle Zikalala, who last month ousted Mchunu as chairman of the party.

Only 72 branches passed the audits for Saturday’s conference and a further 21 or 22 reportedly boycotted it, meaning that only the delegates from a little over half the region’s branches participated in the process. ANA was initially told by one source that only 256 delegates were in attendance on Saturday.

However, with the final count in, it is clear that 284 delegates participated in the conference, which is 182 less than in the February elective conference.

The outcome of the February conference was nullified after it emerged that three branches, which had not been properly audited, had been irregularly allowed to participate in electing the party’s office-bearers for the region.

In a statement issued late on Saturday afternoon, ANC provincial secretary Super Zuma welcomed the dismissal of Saturday’s court interdict.

“The eThekwini conference, which has [been] delayed for [a] long time, is crucial for the stability of [the] organisation and governance in eThekwini municipality. It must, and shall, go ahead as planned,” said Zuma, who is no relation to President Jacob Zuma.

“Regional conferences are an opportunity for the ANC membership to have their voices heard and this is what ultimately drives the ANC’s agenda. Those within the organisation who hold opposing views should put them forward to the membership and follow long-held internal democratic processes of the ANC,” he said. Members should not revert to court action to resolve internal disputes.

Sithenjwa Nyawose, the councillor from eThekwini’s ward 79, who brought the legal action, could not immediately be reached for comment.

It emerged during the court hearing that ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe had written a letter on October 27 advising that the provincial conference be postponed until the regional conference had been held.

The letter, which was submitted to the court, and a copy of which is in ANA’s possession, reads: “Having consulted with national officials, we are advising and directing the PEC [provincial executive committee] to postpone the provincial conference to a date beyond the eThekwini regional conference.”

But, the provincial conference was held in early November and was attended by four of the party’s top six national leadership – Zuma, treasurer general Zweli Mkhize, deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte, and national chairwoman Baleka Mbete.

Mantashe argued in the letter that holding the provincial conference before the eThekwini regional conference had been held would “push the province into a wave of conspiracy theories about the intention”.

There was tight security at the stadium this weekend, with police units, as well as members of the eThekwini metro police and a private security company deployed.

Legua Mapena was elected deputy chair, while Bheki Ntuli was elected secretary, Mondli Mthembu deputy secretary, and Barbara Fortuin treasurer.

Gumede’s win, makes her the first woman to head up the ANC’s eThekwini region.