Durban — Day 2 of the most anticipated battle of top leadership positions finally began following delays as delegates arrived two hours after the scheduled time.
The ninth ANC KZN provincial conference is under way at the Olive Convention Centre where new leadership of the party will be elected.
Among the front runners gunning for the top positions, Sihle Zikalala is expected to enter the ring and rumble with other hopefuls including senior KZN members of the provincial legislature Sboniso Duma, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, and businessman Sandile Zungu.
Current provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli is expected to go toe-to-toe with Bheki Mtolo for the secretary position.
ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe on Friday said the fact that there were many people contesting the leadership positions was nothing to worry about, because the ANC was a democratic party that allowed for any member in good standing to contest if they met the requirements.
“If the candidates nominated meet the requirements as per the constitution of the ANC, then those people will be elected, however, I don’t think we should read more into the names that are being sung about or rotated on social media because the members who are singing or talking about such individuals are merely exercising their democratic rights.
“It is not our duty to dictate to the structures of the ANC who they must or must not vote for, our responsibility in this conference is to make sure that we bring the structures together,” Mabe said.
While addressing the media on Friday, ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile hailed the KwaZulu-Natal provincial executive members for having been able to deliver a peaceful and smooth conference that had no reports of violence.
He said that it was an indication that the structures of the ANC in the province were disciplined.
As the eagerly awaited moment of truth closes in, delegates and party officials are locked in a closed session where the organisational report is being presented followed by the financial report.
Daily News