THE race for ANC KZN leadership was narrowed down to rival factions after the nominations pitted the Ankole up against The Taliban for the top five positions at the ongoing elective conference at the Olive Convention Center in Durban.
Going into the conference four candidates, premier and outgoing chairman Sihle Zikalala, businessman and Amazulu Football club owner Sandile Zungu, finance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Siboniso Duma.
But only Zikalala and Duma made it to the ballot paper for the chairmanship position with the much-hyped campaign of Dube-Ncude under The Game Changer theme was blown out of the water in the branch nominations and buried on the floor after she failed to get the 25% or 402 show of hands in the plenary.
Although it was not revealed exactly how many numbers she got, very few hands were raised in her support while Zungu declined nominations, paving the way for an all-out battle between Zikalala backed up by the Ankole faction and Duma who has the support of the influential Taliban as well as the RET forces.
READ: KZN conference: Zikalala’s cold reception!
For deputy chairman, it's a battle between Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu from the all-powerful eThekwini region, a RET stronghold, backed by the Taliban against Ankole candidate Kwazi Mshengu.
The battle for provincial secretary is between outgoing Mdumiseni Ntuli from the Ankole camp and Taliban candidate Bheki until the deputy Sipho Hlomuka from the Taliban coalition and KZN legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce who got nominated from the floor and got the required 25%.
The treasury will be contested by Jomo Sibiya and Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba from the Taliban.
It appears the Taliban had entered into a coalition with other factions to boost their chances after they appeared to support candidates from the RET and other branches or regions.
