Former KZN premier Zikalala and former provincial secretary Ntuli elected to serve on ANC NEC
Former KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has been nominated to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC, just four months after he resigned from the position after a bruising party provincial conference.
Zikalala joins former provincial secretary Mdumiseni Ntuli and Peggy Nkonyeni as KZN representatives in the party’s highest decision-making body.
He will play a crucial role as the party aims for renewal in its structures and tries to tackle the challenges of energy security, unemployment and a stagnant economy.
Zweli Mkhize, who contested against Cyril Ramaphosa for party president, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Bathabile Dlamini and Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu also made the list.
In announcing the list of NEC nominees, ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe described it as a generational mix and gender combination.
Newly-elected secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said alliance members, including SACP-aligned Thulas Nxesi and Blade Nzimande, had been left off the list, but the party had the option to co-opt members on to the executive committee.
“We can look at minorities, the alliance. After the adoption of the Constitution we can use the co-option effort to balance the NEC. We will apply our minds and engage with the NEC on the way forward.”
On the Phala Phala matter, Mbalula said it had been dealt with in Parliament and any further developments would be dealt with by the NEC as they arose.
“From where we are seated, the matter has been handled by the public protector and the law enforcement agencies. We will watch that space closely and process it accordingly in the organisation,” said Mbalula.
Zikalala yesterday said the new NEC needed to display strong leadership and the coherent principles of the organisation.
“The ANC as a democratic liberation movement must show decisiveness, be principled and not work with a factional approach,” said Zikalala.
“We want to see the NEC on the ground, working with people to resolve issues. The crucial immediate issues are the challenges with Eskom, high levels of crime and unemployment.”
Zikalala, the former provincial chairperson of the ANC, resigned in August, saying as an individual member of the ANC, he joined the organisation voluntarily and with no expectation of material benefit but to put skills and expertise at the disposal of the movement. Zikalala was appointed Cogta MEC after his resignation, while Nomusa Dube-Ncube replaced him as premier.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe described the NEC as being balanced in its mix.
“You have people such as former public enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba and young people such as former Johannesburg mayor Parks Tau.
“Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma is there and on the face of it, it is a very different NEC compared to the previous one.
“This NEC will have serious engagements, given the people who are there,” said Seepe.
Nomvula Mokonyane, who was elected first deputy secretary-general at the conference, had been critical of the previous NEC.
She said members of the ANC had survived difficult moments such as the pandemic, the shutdown and the collapse of branches of the party, but questions had been raised about how effective the previous NEC had been.
She said many ran away when society was in need of leadership.
Due to delays at the conference, the crucial policy aspect will be discussed by delegates at a hybrid session on January 5 and an announcement on the policy decisions is expected the following day.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to reshuffle his Cabinet soon after this with some of the newly elected NEC members expected to feature.
Mbalula’s election as secretary-general will leave a vacancy in the Transport Ministry while the party, in its policy discussions, considered disbanding the Ministry of Public Enterprises and incorporating state-owned enterprises into other portfolios – this would leave its current minister, Pravin Gordhan, without a portfolio.
Sources said individuals like Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, who lost out on the deputy president position to Paul Mashatile, may feature in the president’s reconfigured Cabinet.
There have also been suggestions that Dlamini Zuma may face the axe.
She has been vocal in her criticism of the party’s step-aside resolution and, with a handful of ANC MPs, voted for the section 89 independent panel report on Phala Phala to proceed in Parliament.
The motion was defeated after the majority of ANC MPs voted against the matter to proceed in Parliament.
Speaking after the conference, Dlamini Zuma said now that the conference was over and the contestation was over, there was a need to rally behind the newly elected leadership and focus on uniting the party and tackling the serious issues affecting the country.
However, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said there was no truth to rumours that Ramaphosa would fire certain ministers, such as Sisulu and Dlamini Zuma.
“After January 5, we will give a clear and concrete plan on how we move forward. The ANC is not just a political party but a people’s organisation and we have no alternative but to make sure it is united as a divided party hurts the aspirations of our people. Without its unity, the prosperity of this country is not possible.”