PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term as ANC president has suffered a crushing blow.
His allies were humiliated at the KZN elective conference on Saturday, 23 July when Premier Sihle Zikalala lost his position as provincial chairman to Siboniso Duma in a 930 to 655 vote, which saw the Taliban and RET slates beating out the Ankole camp in a clean sweep.
Nomagugu Simelane was elected deputy chairwoman, Bheki Mtolo provincial secretary, Sipho Hlomuka deputy secretary and Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba treasurer.
Duma, who was nominated by the eThekwini region led by former mayor Zandile Gumede, rubbished speculation that the losing slate would be purged.
With KZN having the most voting delegates at the national elective conference at 1 600, Zikalala’s loss has thrown his campaign into disarray with the remaining provinces, Free State and North West, deeply divided. With KZN divided, it seems united in its rejection of Ramaphosa’s bid for a second term as many delegates sang songs in support of former president Jacob Zuma at the conference.
ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile earlier said Ramaphosa would attend the conference but after Zikalala’s defeat, it appeared doubtful that he would. By the time of going to print, Ramaphosa had still not arrived at the Olive Convention Centre, where the conference was held.
No official word had been communicated by late afternoon yesterday. It seemed doubtful he’d attend after Duma told journalists it was not compulsory for a party president to close a conference.
Delivering his political report on Friday, Zikalala said all the right things, including commenting that Zuma had been treated badly, but this was not enough to stir delegates.
